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www.eonline.com - : The pen might be mightier than the sword, but a quill, when in the hands of the Marquis de Sade, is downright dangerous. As he did in Shine, Geoffrey Rush struts some Oscar-worthy charisma as the demented Marquis, a man imprisoned at an insane asylum but whose pornographic passages--published illegally with the help of impressionable Kate Winslet--have all of Paris buzzing. Michael Caine, a self-serving doctor who believes dunking patients in a pool of water is the way to cure the mentally ill, says he's disgusted by the Marquis' works but has some secrets of his own. Joaquin Phoenix--fresh from the Gladiator arena--gives a terrific supporting turn as someone who wants to be a friend to everyone but ultimately ends up hurting himself. Holding it all together--and leveling the drama with more humor than one expects--is director Philip Kaufman, who knows how to push the write buttons and leave all participants, well, satisfied. more...
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B+
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Critic Reviews
