Given its risqué subject matter, the circus-show surrounding supporting star Shia LaBoeuf, and the never-ending saga of controversy surrounding its director, it’s ironic that a graphic film about sex addiction may actually be Lars Von Trier’s most subtle, thought-provoking feature yet.

Or the first part of it, anyway. While Nymphomaniac: Volume II promises orgies, bondage and whippings (oh my!), Volume I is both an introduction and an intriguing stand-alone film. Von Trier favourite Charlotte Gainsbourg plays Jo, an emotionally enigmatic woman who recounts her life-long obsession with sex to a kindly older man, Siegelman (Stellan Skarsgard). “It will be long and moral, I’m afraid,” Jo warns, before commencing: “I discovered my cunt at age two.”

As Joe recounts the explicit, mostly unfeeling, competitively-paced sexual exploits of her younger self (played by Stacy Martin), Von Trier perfectly balances the graphic and unsimulated flashbacks with wryly funny and intelligent interactions between Joe and Siegelman. Their dynamic takes on that of a religious confession, with Joe both seeking and resisting absolution. Meanwhile, Siegelman acts as an on-screen critic, injecting both intellectualism and interpretation into the narrative. Using the laughably safe metaphor of fly-fishing to help him understand Jo, his naïve but non-judgemental observations expose our desire to relate to all stories, no matter how extreme. Formally and thematically inventive, Von Trier captures a sense of mischief in his tantalising and teasing film. There are more humorously chosen graphics and insightful cultural references than there are erect penises – of which there are a few. But while genitalia and sex are rampant, these aspects don’t overshadow the film’s clever, interesting and surprisingly fun exploration of desire, intimacy, loneliness and shame.