David Iver's Venus in Fur is one of the most intense 90 minutes of showtime I've experienced in some time.  It starts out as what appears to be an innocent, unplanned audition.  As the two main characters are acting out a dramatization of the 1870s novella “Venus in Furs,” by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, the story takes a sudden turn and involves revenge, S&M and torture. Nina Arianda plays Vanda, the actress auditioning for the lead role, and Hugh Dancy plays the playwright, Thomas.  The two of them have an interesting chemistry, although … [Read more...]