Film review: Phantom of the Open
Another British comedy about a sporting underdog starring Mark Rylance
This “shimmering romantic drama” comes with a “strong sex” warning from the British Board of Film Classification, said Robbie Collin in The Daily Telegraph, “and I’d have to agree: the sex here really is rather impressive”. The film celebrates “physical human connection” as a source of “pleasure and solace”; this being a French film, it also presents sex as “just, you know, extremely hot”. Set amid the tower blocks of the 13th arrondissement, the story presents episodes from the ever-shifting romantic lives of four young Parisians.We have Émilie (Lucie Zhang), a Chinese-French science graduate stuck in dead-end jobs; her tenant and eventual lover Camille (Makita Samba); law student Nora (Noémie Merlant); and Amber (Jehnny Beth), the only one with a stable job – who works in adult entertainment. The characters’ lives “intersect in thrilling and surprising ways”, and while the film brims with “naughty bits”, Paul Guilhaume’s “monochrome photography” draws out the “beauty” of the sexually uninhibited scenes – “honestly”.
I was interested by “how many of the film’s most genuinely intimate moments play out at one remove”, said Mark Kermode in The Observer. This “playfully sensuous” film asks “what happens to slow-burn intimacy when mediated by the urgency of the online world”. The characters live out their lives in isolated boxes, their phones and computer screens their only constant companions. But “perceptive and realistic” as the film is, said Edward Porter in The Sunday Times, I couldn’t muster much real interest in these people. For all their vigour, they struck me as “faintly dull”.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Today's political cartoons - April 26, 2025
Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - road to victory, biggest guns, and more
By The Week US
-
5 holier-than-thou cartoons about the Pope's passing
Cartoons Artists take on a new ride, an old hat, and more
By The Week US
-
Creamy kale slaw with hazelnuts recipe
The Week Recommends This slaw with a 'cracking texture' makes the perfect side that will elevate any meal
By The Week Staff
-
Creamy kale slaw with hazelnuts recipe
The Week Recommends This slaw with a 'cracking texture' makes the perfect side that will elevate any meal
By The Week Staff
-
Geri Halliwell-Horner shares her favourite books
The Week Recommends Former Spice Girl chooses works by Oscar Wilde, Maggie O'Farrell and Philippa Gregory
By The Week UK
-
6 peaceful homes in farm country
Feature Featuring a two-story solarium in California and a three-season screened porch in Wisconsin
By The Week US
-
Ghosts: a 'scorching' retelling of Ibsen's scandalous tale
The Week Recommends Gary Owen's modern revamp of the classic play is a 'cracker'
By The Week UK
-
Holy Cow: a charming 'micro-budget' film about Comté
The Week Recommends First-time director Louise Courvoisier elicits 'brilliant performances' from her non-professional cast
By The Week UK
-
The Story of Murder: a 'thoughtful' fictional retelling of a true crime story
The Week Recommends Hallie Rubenhold novel delivers belated justice to the victim of a 1910 London murder
By The Week UK
-
Film reviews: Sinners and The King of Kings
Feature Vampires lay siege to a Mississippi juke joint and an animated retelling of Jesus' life
By The Week US
-
Music reviews: Bon Iver, Valerie June, and The Waterboys
Feature "Sable, Fable," "Owls, Omens, and Oracles," "Life, Death, and Dennis Hopper"
By The Week US