Slow pace in the most part of the movie.

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

Blistering performances.

There aren't any external reviews for this film listed here, and the two user reviews are from fans of S&M, it seems (Forgive me if I'm wrong).The problem I have with that is that although this film does include S&M scenes, in actuality it's about how society judges what people do in their private lives, and how that can be completely misinterpreted if it's judged to be "perverse" by any law that's designed to protect the innocent.The laws against underage sex are pretty clear in any country but fungible in others but speaking as someone who would gladly castrate any pedophile then the questions raised here are very different.What the judge did was to try and save his marriage by understanding what it was that his wife really wanted. It was an act of sacrifice on his part and an act of desperate honesty on her part. Yes, it got to be extremely harrowing, particularly the scenes that we see at the end that were filmed in the villa, but that's what love and sacrifice are all about, isn't it? The fact that it led to a court case where he was fired, denied a pension and vilified by all but his closest of friends should make us think about the question "What is Justice?", rather than even thinking about the matter of how painful the scenes were to watch.The end titles say that the appeal to the Supreme Court of Human Rights was rejected. What a massive failure of the justice system.What more more important right does any couple have than to do what they want to, consensually, in their own private time?

"SM-rechter" is probably the most heart-warming S&M-related movie you'll see in your life. The movie features plenty of whipping, piercing, chaining and even branding, but I mainly remember a beautiful yet unconventional love story. A successful man putting everything he has at stake for the love of his wife, that's just touching no matter how much explicit rough sex it requires. The fact that the movie's based on a true story probably makes the two main characters even more compelling, it's not just a movie (though I have no idea how accurate the portrayal is, I wasn't there). "SM-rechter" is a movie that can make people talk, and it seems that was what the director was going for. And even in the unlikely case that this movie doesn't make you think, at least it's pretty entertaining throughout. Not bad at all.

For those without a particular interest in the subject matter, the movie is deserving of perhaps a 6.5/10.On the other hand it is exceptional with regards to it's treatment of S&M within the context of a genuinely loving relationship. Just about every aspect of dynamic touched upon within the film will ring true, or at the very least be recognizable to anyone that has more than a passing familiarity with BDSM.Easily the best non-documentary film treatment of the subject to date, and I've seen many. Not as entertaining or clever as The Secretary, but absolutely more genuine and reflective of kink in the real world overall.