In a dark, icy winter street, a woman lies on the ground, her face covered in blood. Her name is Joe. Joe has been a nymphomaniac since she was very young and has gone through life like a flame until this day. Seligman, an older single man, finds her and takes her home to help her. Joe tells him her bizarre life story, which is full of surprises.

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When Lars Von Trier announced at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival that he wanted to direct a pornographic film, everyone though he was kidding. Three years later, no one is laughing. Nymphomaniac Volume 1, despite its risqué gamble and compelling initial idea, turns out to be uninteresting once a few sex scenes are gotten out of the way. The controversial provocateur has shot wide of the mark with this project. It lacks all substance and never makes sense, neither plot-wise nor emotionally. Its only saving grace is a brilliant performance by Stacy Martin. It’s hard to connect this failure with Melancholia, Von Trier’s excellent 2011 feature.