The Duke of Burgundy

2014 British drama

Rating: 14/20

Plot: Lesbians experience troubles in their sadomasochistic relationship.

Only slightly sexy (if at all) but deliciously stylish, The  Duke of Burgundy and its characters were never anything I got tired of looking at though there might not have been enough drama in this pair's relationship to justify the movie's length. Honestly, it was the frequent shots of butterflies--both living and dead--that kept me invested rather than the sadomasochistic shenanigans of the couple. One dream sequence is startlingly great, spliced-together and rapidly-changing butterfly bits filling the screen that reminded me of a Svankmajer short. All in all, it's a frequently lovely but maybe not all that engrossing love story, but I prefer Peter Strickland's Berberian Sound Studio, probably because I'm attracted to Toby Jones.

Do I want to know what a "human toilet" is, or is something I'm better off not knowing?