Sanctuary», erotic thriller that half works

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Two characters in one room: this is how “Sanctuary” can be summed up, a curious thriller signed by Zachary Wigon starring Margaret Qualley and Christopher Abbott.
She plays Rebecca, a girl who works in the sex entertainment industry as a dominatrix; he instead is Hal, her best client, who belongs to a rich family and is about to inherit a real fortune: for this very reason, he cannot continue the bond with Rebecca, especially because she knows every secret and perversion of her .
That’s how Hal decides to visit her one last time and tell her that they will never see each other again. Rebecca, however, does not agree with this choice and she will do anything to change his mind.

The Italian subtitle “He makes the game, she makes the rules” is quite explicit in describing a relationship made up of continuous role reversals, defined by power games in which one constantly tries to gain the upper hand over the other. It is undoubtedly ambitious this operation that focuses on an undoubtedly interesting subject, even if not too original, at least in the initial dramaturgical construction.

An engaging script

Although the premises are not so brilliant, the script created by Micah Bloomberg (one of the minds behind the “Homecoming” series) manages to excite and involve and this is the most difficult undertaking that the film manages to achieve: even if the limits are evident , even in some excessively forced directorial choices, the story keeps the tension high until the end, giving the audience a remarkable suspense. Too bad for some passages that are too predictable, but overall the film holds up quite well, also thanks to the good performance of the two protagonists , called to play two roles that are anything but simple. In particular Margaret Qualley, an actress born in 1994 who we remember in “Once upon a time in Hollywood” by Quentin Tarantino and “Stars at Noon” by Claire Denis, confirms herself as one of the young most interesting interpreters in business: we will soon see her again in two of the most anticipated films of the entire season, namely “Poor Thing” by Yorgos Lanthimos and “Drive-Away Dolls” by Ethan Coen.

Daliland

Among the most awaited titles of the week there is also “Daliland”, a film by Mary Harron which tells the last years of Salvador Dalì’s life. We are in 1974, when a young assistant named James helps the brilliant Spanish painter to set up the exhibition in a New York gallery. The boy is enthusiastic and can hardly believe that he has the privilege of working for the immense artist, but being next to him he also discovers the dark sides of his personality and his life. James has the opportunity to experience firsthand the eccentric life that Dali leads and, participating in lush parties with illustrious guests, feels the emptiness and sadness that Dali carries within himself. Mary Harron, director of “American Psycho” and “Charlie Says”, focuses on the darker sides of the soul of the great surrealist painter, recounting his fear of getting old and the difficulties of his marital relationship. There are also noteworthy touches , especially in the first part of the film, but the overall design is not that great, above all due to a narrative that is too built at the table and a staging that, considering the artist who is narrating, should have been decidedly more eccentric and effervescent .Good, in any case, the performance of Ben Kingsley in the role of the protagonist.