Nymphomaniac: Volume I

Name: Nymphomaniac: Volume I
Genre: Drama
Released: March 21, 2014
Duration: 118 min
Rating: 64
Cast: Charlotte Gainsbourg, Christian Slater, Jamie Bell, Mia Goth, Shia LaBeouf

2014

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 41 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 225 Ratings

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7.0	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 225 Ratings

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Nymphomaniac: Volume I (Trailer 1)

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Movie Details & Credits

Magnolia Pictures | Release Date: March 21, 2014 | Not Rated

Starring: Charlotte Gainsbourg, Christian Slater, Jamie Bell, Mia Goth, Shia LaBeouf, Stacy Martin, Stellan Skarsgård, Uma Thurman, Willem Dafoe

Summary: Joe (Charlotte Gainsbourg), a self-diagnosed nymphomaniac, is discovered badly beaten in an alley by an older bachelor, Seligman (Stellan Skarsgård), who takes her into his home. As he tends to her wounds, she recounts the erotic story of her adolescence and young-adulthood (portrayed in flashback by Stacy Martin). [Magnolia Pictures]

Director: Lars von Trier

Genre(s): Drama

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 118 min

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Critic Reviews

100

Peter Debruge

Dec 17, 2013

Racy subject aside, the film provides a good-humored yet serious-minded look at sexual self-liberation, thick with references to art, music, religion and literature, even as it pushes the envelope with footage of acts previously relegated to the sphere of pornography. Read full review

The Telegraph Tim Robey

Feb 20, 2014

Nymphomaniac, which mainly plays out in the banal home-and-office settings you might expect from a 1970s porn shoot, is less drop-dead gorgeous than Antichrist but significantly more human. Read full review

Bill Goodykoontz

Mar 20, 2014

for those willing to go along with von Trier's typically in-your-face tactics, it's a good, if uncomfortable (and surprisingly funny), film. And the discomfort is part of what von Trier is after. Read full review

Peter Travers

Mar 20, 2014

I refuse to render a final verdict on the latest cinematic outrage from Danish provocateur Lars Von Trier until Volume Two drops its undies on April 18th. But I will say this for Volume One: It's a mesmerizing mind game. Read full review

Manohla Dargis

Mar 20, 2014

You’re unlikely to turn away. The problem with aesthetic shocks is that their power can drain off and their original effects become harder to replicate, so we’ll just have to see what happens next. Read full review

Mike Scott

Apr 4, 2014

Vol. 1 functions reasonably well as a standalone film in its own right, playing out like a dose of mass therapy, an interesting, Von Trier-led sexploration of humankind's conflicted approach to sex: We love it, but we also fear it and are often thoroughly ashamed of it. Read full review

Joe Neumaier

Mar 20, 2014

Danish director Lars von Trier makes this tale of one woman’s banal sexual adventures into inadvertent comedy. The film makes an analogy between sex and fly-fishing — and fly-fishing comes off as more intriguing. Read full review

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User Reviews

blockofcheese

Aug 7, 2014

sex epic... erotic dreamscape... this movie is alive! the preview intrigued me... Nymphomaniac has one great message; love. truly gripping story-telling. brilliant writing from Lars von Trier! crazy good cast every actor played their part well, top notch drama! A++

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

Ralfbergs

Mar 13, 2017

Weirdly enough, even though I don't like the lead character and her actions, the movie still is really interesting and sucks you in, even with all the graphic stuff and everything else. The movie makes you think and the conversations that it has have really interesting comparisons andWeirdly enough, even though I don't like the lead character and her actions, the movie still is really interesting and sucks you in, even with all the graphic stuff and everything else. The movie makes you think and the conversations that it has have really interesting comparisons and philosophic points to think about. I didn't like other Lars von Trier movie I saw, but this one was quite good if you think about it philosophically.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

lasttimeisaw

Jun 17, 2014

A 4-hour binge watching of provocateur Lars von Trier’s latest feminist saga (divided into two volumes) is a candid confession of a middle-age nymphomaniac Joe (Gainsbourg, doughtily consummates her enthralling rendering in von Trier’s Trilogy of Depression, after ANTICHRIST 2009 andA 4-hour binge watching of provocateur Lars von Trier’s latest feminist saga (divided into two volumes) is a candid confession of a middle-age nymphomaniac Joe (Gainsbourg, doughtily consummates her enthralling rendering in von Trier’s Trilogy of Depression, after ANTICHRIST 2009 and MELANCHOLIA 2011, 8/10), out of self-hatred, she chronicles her deviant life from childhood to present, to an elder Jewish polymath Seligman (Skarsgård), who brings her home after finding her lying on the street afflicted from a savage assault.

read the rest of my review on my blog, google cinema omnivore, thanks!… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

MarcDoyle

Mar 21, 2014

This was one of my most anticipated movies of the year, and I was only slightly let down by it. Gainsbourg is great in the first part, though her role is almost entirely confined to that of a narrator. The visuals are amazing, and the story is compelling. The supposed graphic nature of theThis was one of my most anticipated movies of the year, and I was only slightly let down by it. Gainsbourg is great in the first part, though her role is almost entirely confined to that of a narrator. The visuals are amazing, and the story is compelling. The supposed graphic nature of the sex is a bit overblown – you’ll see more in an episode of Girls these days. The primary weaknesses are an extended sequence with Uma Thurman, and a long/boring storyline with Christian Slater as the protagonist’s father. If they had simply trimmed or nixed each of these sequences, I would have given the film a 9 or higher. I’m hoping that part II will be a touch more streamlined. And I hope they expand on the humor found in the first part.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

Spangle

Jul 8, 2015

Provocative, moving, and exquisitely put together, Nymphomaniac: Vol. 1's biggest sin is how over the top it is. Though the sex scenes are obviously going to be present, their over the top nature makes you wonder if your time would be better off spent just watching a porno instead. Honestly,Provocative, moving, and exquisitely put together, Nymphomaniac: Vol. 1's biggest sin is how over the top it is. Though the sex scenes are obviously going to be present, their over the top nature makes you wonder if your time would be better off spent just watching a porno instead. Honestly, this one is just a porno with an A1 plot. I would also like a count on the exact number of guys Joe sleeps with. Like, oh my God, forget tossing a hot dog down a hallway. Anyways, it is brilliantly directed by Lars von Trier and the work on the sex scenes is impressive since they are non-simulated, but are heavily edited. Though the film can be gratuitous at times, it does get quite emotionally powerful at times as you see how troubled this girl and why she acts the way she does. This emotionally fragile girl is brilliantly portrayed by Charlotte Gainsbourg and, especially, Stacy Martin. Stellan Skarsgard is also quite good here as he plays the straight man to Gainsbourg/Martin's crazed sex escapades. He essentially plays the role of the audience here and is trying to understand and make sense of what he hears in the same way we are. One of my main concerns here, as well, is that some guy cheated on Uma Thurman, so how believable this film is should certainly be in question solely based on that. Seriously though, Nymphomaniac: Vol. 1 is an interesting start to this two-part sex journey that really pushes limits and gives Von Trier free reign to be as weird as he likes to be.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Jalemany

Jan 10, 2015

Vol 1 does not work for me. It feels often forced, often boring, sometimes intriguing. I found vol 2 more entertaining although also more flawed and inconsistent.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

harryjc

Mar 13, 2017

The positive reviews here have to be all fake. This movie is awful. Even removing the smut there isn't really much of a story to this. It is neither entertaining, enlightening, or well written. Skip it.

0 of 3 users found this helpful03

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