‘Emmanuelle’ movie review: Audrey Diwan’s take on a controversial erotic classic is cold and clinical
One might argue that it is a bold decision to helm a modernised take on the French softcore classic Emmanuelle, but what’s even bolder is doing just that but forgoing any ounce of genuine eroticism, intrigue, or complexity. To many, Audrey Diwan’s attempt at giving a new and improved spin to the hugely popular film might seem like a great idea, but sadly, the result is a movie that leaves you feeling lifeless – and inextricably bored.
Emmanuelle stars Noémie Merlant as the titular character, who is best known for her performance in the incredible Portrait of a Lady on Fire, although here she is launched into the present day, where exploring a fancy hotel takes up most of her time. As an employee of the company that owns the Hong Kong hotel, she checks in to inspect the location and assess the work carried out by Margot, played by Naomi Watts.
While staying at the hotel, she meets various people who lead her to rather unconventional sexual encounters, whether that be joining in on a couple’s threesome or masturbating face-to-face with a female escort. Yet, alongside a few other seductive moments, the movie doesn’t actually feature much outright eroticism, and when it tries to be sexy, it falls rather flat.
Emmanuelle’s first sexual encounter begins before she even touches down in Hong Kong after inviting a stranger to have sex with her in the plane bathroom. It’s a clinical transaction, with Diwan focusing on the protagonist’s face, which is hard to decipher. Has she enjoyed this spontaneous moment? We can’t be sure what Emanuelle is thinking, and this becomes a common theme. She often stares blankly as she stalks hotel corridors and interacts with various hotel regulars and staff, and you can’t help but feel an intense need to dig deeper.
We learn little about anyone involved in the film’s narrative and paired with the fact that every character seems to lack decent manners (Emmanuelle literally never utters the words ‘please’ or ‘thank you’), it feels hard to root for anyone. But then we’re left wondering – what is there to root for? Emmanuelle is a film with little plot, but it doesn’t make up for this in captivating dialogue or likeable (or at least interesting) characters. The interactions between characters often sound clunky and forced, which makes supposedly erotic conversations feel disjointed.
It’s hard to tell what point Diwan is trying to make through the use of sanitised sex scenes and whether the genuine lack of eroticism in even the movie’s most explicit moments is intentional or not. While it’s clear that Diwan is commenting – at least on some level – on female sexuality, autonomy, and capitalism, her point is buried somewhere beneath soulless hotel rooms, big glass windows, and various scenes of Emmanuelle taking explicit selfies.
Emmanuelle eventually becomes infatuated with a man named Kei, whose mysterious presence gives the protagonist something to chase after, desperate to know more about him. Diwan plays with the audience’s expectations, however, and while this adds a certain level of tension to events, there’s not enough to last for the extended period in which Emmanuelle searches for answers.
While Diwan was not obligated to make an erotic spectacle, Emmanuelle is meant to be a character associated with seduction and sexual discovery, and this new take turns desire into a sterile and lonely endeavour. If you are hoping to watch a film that gives a new spin to the infamous story while maintaining the original movie’s preoccupation with sensuality, you’re in the wrong place. Most likely, audiences will be waiting for the film’s climax, although it’s uncertain what it is you’re waiting for.
