This film is shocking - but not because of its nude scenes

The following article contains small spoilers. However, you won't find out how the film ends here

Not watching the film was not an option. That's how much the Netflix teaser for the film "365 Days" got me going. The Polish film with the original title "365 dni" was based on the bestselling novel by Blanka Lipińska. The film was directed by Barbara Białowas. Both women. This makes the lack of foresight and the no-frills sexism that dominate this erotic film all the more surprising.

Story and logic are missing

The storyline undercuts everything I've seen so far. You will search in vain for an arc of suspense in the almost two hours. Massimo Torricelli (Michele Morrone), a rich, handsome mafia boss, sees a young woman (Anna-Maria Sieklucka) he doesn't know on the beach in Sicily shortly before his father's death and can't get her out of his head. He is obsessed with her. It is unclear whether he was just imagining the woman at the time or not.

Five years later, Massimo finds and kidnaps the young woman named Laura Biel, who was in an unhappy relationship at the time of her abduction. He tells her that he has been looking for her all over the world and that her captivity of 365 days was meant to make her fall in love with him. At this point at the latest, it becomes clear that the story is secondary. After all, he could have simply asked the Polish woman out on a date. However, the protagonist prefers to rely on the Stockholm syndrome. And lo and behold, Massimo's plan seems to work.

The only logic that runs consistently through the story is the lack of any logic at all. One example: at the beginning, Massimo assures Laura that he won't do anything without her consent - mind you, after he has kidnapped her - only to then grope and fondle her at every opportunity without her consent. And with phrases like "I will do what I want with you" and "I will possess you". Laura becomes an object. And the logic behind it? She runs across a meadow sipping cocktails and naked.

Characterless

Supporting characters who you assume play an important role are introduced half-heartedly and disappear just as quickly as they appear. The story can therefore be reduced to the two clichéd protagonists. Massimo, the wealthy gangster who clings desperately to his bad boy image and won't take no for an answer. Naturally with a deep, deep, hidden good core. Here and there, a failed attempt is made to cast Massimo's intentions in a supposedly better light - by doing what a mobster has to do to save the family honour and protect Laura from danger. The fact that she needs protection from him is not a topic. Because unlike the shy Anastasia Steele from "50 Shades of Grey", Laura is bursting with sexual energy and self-confidence. Within a few minutes of playing, the seduced and abducted woman becomes a seductress. Even her "fighting back" against her kidnapper at the beginning of the film is tantamount to an erotic reel. Everything is foreplay.

While Massimo repeatedly uses the same macho pick-up lines, Laura tries to be quick-witted and provocative. You wait in vain for real conversations with depth. Arguments crop up for no reason and almost always end in sex. For example, Massimo is slapped in the face and told "How could you do this to me?" after he organises a flight to Warsaw for Laura at her request so that she can have fun with her friend. Yes, Massimo. How could you? She didn't even react so violently after her abduction.

Not the sex scenes are shocking

The teaser image for the film shows Laura tied to the bed with her arms while Massimo stands dominantly in front of her. In the background is a huge oil painting of him with a lion, which makes the already over-staged setting even more absurd. The image gives the viewer the impression that things are going to get rough in the film. However, apart from this one scene, there is not much to see of BDSM in the film.

However, the mainstream porn-inspired sex scenes are unexpected and, in my opinion, the most successful thing about this film thanks to the good camera work. However, the surrounding scenes make it difficult for the viewer to enjoy these sequences. Because somewhere between the rape-glorifying scenes, the objectification of the woman and Laura's enjoyment of it lurks a guilty conscience. So it's not the erotic scenes that shocked me as a viewer, but my willingness to watch the film to the end - along with its despicable message: with power, money and good looks, you can afford anything. Even a human being.