Unvarnished look at unsavoury subject

SEX, sleaze and violence are no strangers to director Abel Ferrara, an independent filmmaker who takes delight in offending our finer sensibilities while appealing to certain baser instincts - often at the same time. Add money and power to the volatile mix and you get Welcome to New York, a movie that is a thinly disguised tale about former International Monetary Fund boss Dominique Strauss-Kahn (DSK) and the charges he faced in a notorious 2011 sexual assault case.

Despite a lengthy disclaimer, it's fair to say that Ferrara is not entirely objective in his opinion on the subject, leaving absolutely no doubt as to whether or not he thinks DSK - who was never convicted - was guilty. A prelude to the movie even has Gerard Depardieu, who plays the DSK-based character, facing a posse of journalists and explaining why he took on the role. "Because I don't like him," he says.

Big-shot French executive Devereaux (Depardieu) is a power broker and sex addict who openly condones sex in the workplace and on business trips. The film's first 30 minutes is an outrageous portrayal of his depraved behaviour and sexual habits, featuring the bloated Devereaux snorting and grunting in a variety of sex acts that don't leave much to the imagination. Even when he's fully clothed, he can't resist quizzing his daughter Sophie (Marie Mouté) and her boyfriend on their sex life.