Gradiva

Alain Robbe-Grillet is not mainstream; he makes uncompromising films to please himself rather than an audience and this latest production is no exception yet of all his creations, "Gradiva" is probably the most easily accessible to anyone with the courage to follow where he leads. It is a kind of Alice-in-Wonderland sexual fantasy - not for the feint-hearted - where time and space double back on themselves, where reality and illusion are indistinguishable, where, in spite of transgressing most generally acceptable sexual limits, Robbe-Grillet manages to leave us with an aftertaste of great tenderness. Lovely performances from Arielle Dombasle and Dany Verissimo.