A BATTLE of the sexes filled with quick wit and sizzling chemistry, Roman Polanski’s Venus in Fur is an exploration of power and desire.

The French language film, based on the Tony award-winning play by David Ives, features brilliant performances by Mathieu Amalric and Emmanuelle Seigner, who both appeared in The Diving Bell and The Butterfly together.

But it is also memorable because the whole film happens in a theatre hall with no other actors – like it would on the stage.

Polanski is obviously indulging his love of dialogue-led stories in confined environments like he did with 2011’s Carnage but Venus in Fur is as well honed as his classics like Chinatown or Rosemary’s Baby.

The story sees weary writerdirector Thomas (Amalric) after a day of unsuccessful auditions for the female role in his play.

As he is about to leave, brash, unschooled actress Vanda (Seigner) bursts in and Thomas reluctantly agrees to let her try out for the part.

Within seconds she transforms into a living apparition of Thomas’s character... a powerful, seductive woman of the 19th century who convinces a man to submit to her.

But what happens during the read through begins to mirror and drip through into real life.

An intelligent, humourous film and a master class in body language, Venus in Fur’s allure will win you over but the surreal ending unfortunately does not quite work.