Film starts with warm lightning and with the intimacy of a dungeon. Dominatrix and masochistic man. Roger Rees plays that man and he looks like Willem Dafoe. He is married and confesses to his wife the affair with the dominatrix, played by Geno Lechner (very good). He seeks a relationship with her outside the dungeon, but she is indecisive and wants to quit the job.
Director Eric Werthman always finds the right tone to describe the situation. Very good actors, a fascinating mood, interesting characters with a social environment, sensitive and open dungeon-scenes and the complex problem of two people who try to get closer to each other. This film has depth and mood.
Miho Nikaido, who plays Suzanne's jealous lesbian lover, performed 12 years ago in japanese sm-film TOKYO DECADENCE.
Yesterday we watched SECRETARY and that came to my mind because in both films man and woman try to communicate, to learn more about the other person, to really get to know and understand each other, to keep a distance or to get closer.
There's one scene with her in the dungeon with another client, who expresses his specific needs and tries to top her. Her reaction is real anger and you can see that on her face when she spanks him (after the screening someone said this scene is as good as a scene in classic WOMAN IN FLAMES with Gudrun Landgrebe).
Director Eric Werthman worked as a psychotherapist and this is the profession Roger Rees has in his film. Although GOING UNDER is Werthman's first feature film he is able to create scenes of intensity. And he avoids to add a crime story (unlike WALK ALL OVER ME).
The audience was deeply impressed by this unknown film.
Why did moviegoers ignore this film?
GOING UNDER deserves an award
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