Principles of Lust

Penny Woolcock’s film looks as if it is under high tension. The protagonist of The Principles of Lust is Paul, a writer with writer’s block and increasing problems with listlessness. That changes when he bumps into two people. The first is the charismatic and dangerous risk seeker Billy, who puts him in touch with the darker side of life. And then we have Juliette, a single mother he falls madly in love with. When the initial passion has cooled in their relationship after a couple of months, he has to choose between building up a life with Juliette or following Billy in his quest for the endless high.The Principles of Lust is the first real feature by Woolcock, who has already received a lot of praise for her unusual, realistic TV work. This film, directed with self-assurance and acted with intensity, is an emotional rollercoaster ride that will not leave the viewer unmoved. The road to an underworld where the strongest rules leads the viewer to strip clubs, bare-fist fights between young kids, drug use and many other examples of debauchery. For Paul, it is a journey to the frontiers of his identity.See also The Death of Klinghoffer.