Calling out Lars Von Trier's new film as controversial is like being shocked that Tarantino's latest is full of gore and violence, or that oxygen is pretty helpful. In the case of Nymphomaniac, Von Trier has tried to create hype and sensation to promote the film for years. He has long talked about making an artistic pornographic film and now he has he is reveling in the intrigue and shock it is causing. The story follows Joe, a self-confessed sex addict who tells her troubled life story through flashbacks to an a man who finds her beaten in an alley. Rumours of the actors taking part in real sex scenes were perpetuated by star Shia LaBeouf and have since proved unfounded, which is a lot less shocking considering his more recent transgressions. Instead producers have revealed that a combination of doubles and CGI have been used, possibly to help avoid an X rating. The list of names involved is a large part of what makes it such a sensation; Charlotte Gainsbourg, Willem Dafoe, Uma Thurman, Christian Slater, Stellan Skarsgard and Jamie Bell will all join LaBoeuf in the epic five hour, two part film. The hype will keep growing with this one as reportedly shocking trailers (containing uncensored fellatio among other delights) were pulled from Youtube and promotional posters showing nothing but the actor's orgasmic sex faces become more prominent.
