Melodrama, madness and misery abound in this muck-ridden tale of the Marquis De Sade (Geoffrey Rush). Although the salacious scribe is locked up in a mental asylum, he still manages to smuggle his novels out with the help of a maid (Kate Winslet). Enter disciplinarian doctor Royer-Collard (Michael Caine) to purge the wicked inmate of his dodgy ways.
DVD Extras:
Trailer, TV spot, Marquis On The Marquee documentary, Creating Chaventon documentary, Dressing The Part documentary, two stills galleries, commentary by writer Doug Wright.Rush gobbles up the screen in a fine Oscar-showreel and Winslet looks great. It's a shame, then, that Caine seems sedated and the romance between Winslet and Joaquin Phoenix's priest is needlessly tacked on. The extras are similarly a mixed bag - the mini-documentaries are too brief, but Wright's camp commentary fits the mood perfectly.
