[Eva] is a superlatively glossy and elegant entertainment; one cannot help wondering whether, if it were given the room to aim at something more, it might not well end up as something decidedly less.

A decadent period piece and a sadomasochistic view of sexual relations, this singular, resonant, and at times even inspiring mannerist mess is far more interesting than a good many modest successes.

This is a sleek, mannered look at an affair between a cold, almost psychotic, call girl and a writer, who is a fraught with overtones of masochism.

The use of Venice in the winter is beautiful; so are the sets. There are things to carp about in the film... but the style is strong enough to make animal leaps over the gaps.