Asia Argento and model-turned-actor Fu-ad Aît Aattou play lovers in the period film The Last Mistress. The drama tells the story of lusty young libertine, Ryno (Aattou), his mistress, Vellini, and the tortured, bizarre story of their affair.

On the eve of his wedding to a fair-haired virgin (Roxane Mesquida), Ryno finds that he must defend his love for his new bride to the woman’s grandmother. In doing so, he comes clean, sharing everything from the sordid tale of his first meeting with Vellini all the way to their last goodbyes. Director Catherine Breillat may have set out to create a moving story of love and loss but what she ended up with is a big, melodramatic mess. Argento’s performance is self-indulgent and poorly delivered. Her screeching and honking gets old after the first few minutes of the movie. Aattou is great to look at and believable as a slinky player, but it’s not enough to make this film memorable.

Grade: C-

The Last Mistress releases in select theaters July 4.