When I rented this film a few years ago, after seeing clips from it on a cable TV show about unusual sex in movies, I was expecting an intense and kinky adult love story. The fact that the tape was stopped half way through only suggested laziness on the part of the previous renter, who hadn't bothered to rewind it. It wasn't until I had gotten to about that point in the movie that I realized the previous viewer must have quit watching in dismay, and returned it without seeing the rest. Then I began to understand. SPOILERS AHEAD: I felt a real point of cruelty had been reached when Oscar totally dismissed the Thanksgiving dinner that Mimi had gone to a lot of effort to make for him. You could see how hurt she was, and from that point, the movie became more and more difficult to watch. When she begged to be allowed to come back to him, and was a total wreck emotionally, I felt humiliated for her, it seemed so real. After that, things deteriorated so badly that it became almost impossible to watch. I might have felt there was a sort of karmic justice in seeing the arrogant, self-centered Oscar become totally
dependent on the girlfriend he had virtually destroyed, except that she became just as despicable and cruel as he had been. How I ever managed to get to the end of this movie, I don't know, except that I must have been like the Hugh Grant character, who keeps coming back to hear more of Oscar's perverse stories, even though he claims to be shocked by them. Some viewers claim to find a touch of redemptive grace or hope at the very conclusion, but I don't find it worth the agony of sitting through an entire film of two people who supposedly love each other behaving in the most appallingly cruel ways imaginable. Why this movie was ever made, and how anyone could possibly find it of value are beyond me. I have never seen such a despairing,nihilistic vision of the utter hopelessness of male and female relationships. I cannot recommend this movie to anyone, in good conscience. The fact that it is well made and uncomfortably believable make it worse than if it were a cheesy, poorly made film. The pain and suffering in this film are worse than anything I've seen in Bunuel. Only for devoted fans of Roman Polanski.
dependent on the girlfriend he had virtually destroyed, except that she became just as despicable and cruel as he had been. How I ever managed to get to the end of this movie, I don't know, except that I must have been like the Hugh Grant character, who keeps coming back to hear more of Oscar's perverse stories, even though he claims to be shocked by them. Some viewers claim to find a touch of redemptive grace or hope at the very conclusion, but I don't find it worth the agony of sitting through an entire film of two people who supposedly love each other behaving in the most appallingly cruel ways imaginable. Why this movie was ever made, and how anyone could possibly find it of value are beyond me. I have never seen such a despairing,nihilistic vision of the utter hopelessness of male and female relationships. I cannot recommend this movie to anyone, in good conscience. The fact that it is well made and uncomfortably believable make it worse than if it were a cheesy, poorly made film. The pain and suffering in this film are worse than anything I've seen in Bunuel. Only for devoted fans of Roman Polanski.