Clearly, most of the people that thought this movie was genius were more titillated than anything. Yes, it's taboo. Yes it's intriguing. But it never really materialized in a smooth manner. I did appreciate the fact that the S and M stuff was introduced in a way that didn't insult the audience, taking the viewers seriously and insinuating they knew what this was all about. But for those that didn't understand, the film was pretty dull.
Sadly, the film just didn't take the subject far enough. While the progression of pleasure gathered by the characters was quite effective, a lot of little annoyances just kept getting in the way. Maggie Gyllenhaal's mental illness was too overplayed in the second half of the film, and then hokie moments like her pleasuring herself in the bathroom and the big crowds outside the lawyers' office really kind of knocked the film out of its continuous dark turn. In the hands of a more capable writing-directing team, this film would be pretty good. But with it already made, we'll have to stuck with this film until something better comes along.
Sadly, the film just didn't take the subject far enough. While the progression of pleasure gathered by the characters was quite effective, a lot of little annoyances just kept getting in the way. Maggie Gyllenhaal's mental illness was too overplayed in the second half of the film, and then hokie moments like her pleasuring herself in the bathroom and the big crowds outside the lawyers' office really kind of knocked the film out of its continuous dark turn. In the hands of a more capable writing-directing team, this film would be pretty good. But with it already made, we'll have to stuck with this film until something better comes along.