Paul, the latest and perhaps most widely accessible work from Canadian filmmaker Denis Côté to date, follows the uniquely inspirational and heartfelt journey of a 34-year old man overcoming depression, body image issues, and severe anxiety in a uniquely holistic way.
Paul is a self-described and proud simp, who finds a lot of self-worth in going to the houses of dominatrixes and cleaning them. By his own admission, he’s only a moderately professional cleaner, but these interactions with women help to open him up to the world and give him something that makes him feel worth. Paul documents his exploits on social media, and he does so with a filmmaker’s eye, paying attention to angles and edits, and narrating in the style of someone who genuinely wants others sharing in his journey (almost like a simp Werner Herzog). He’s anxious about the level of internet fame he’s starting to achieve, but Paul remains focused on his journey of self-improvement.
Côté’s subject gives the director a lot of intimate access to his interactions with mistresses, but there’s also plenty of space given to make Paul comfortable with the added attention. While there’s unquestionably a sexual element to Paul, the film is uniquely inspiring in its tenderness and willingness to showcase BDSM adjacent lifestyles as healing, consensual, and therapeutic. Côté (Carcasses, Bestiaire, Vic and Flo Saw a Bear) never pressures Paul, instead revelling in his warm hearted nature and the kindness he receives in return for his services. A lot of focus is placed on the aftercare, and not necessarily the work, and in those moments lie touching truths about how we would all like to be treated and respected.
