Married/Unmarried

A simplistic melding of Ingmar Bergman, Eugene O'Neill, and Radley Metzger by a 16 year old devoted to Japanese animé would bring forth a better script than this pseudo artsy piece of junk.

A major problem with this film, which runs 86 minutes, is that it is 85 minutes too long. It is true that both Gina Bellman's and Kristen McMenamy's nipples are very pretty. But that they are not enough to sustain this poor man's Peter Greenway is readily apparent.

Derivative. Pedantic. Artless. What more can you say about such a dreary film. What it lacks in originality it makes up in...no, it doesn't make up in anything.

If you enjoy good cinema, you won't enjoy this.

This film has the raw quality of a first feature-length movie by a new director. There are some interesting and revealing moments, but an aura of sensation and artistic pretense spoils the realistic timbre of the intriguing relationships between the characters, also contributing to a loss of their three-dimensionality. Whatever its faults, this film will provoke strong reactions in its viewers; this doesn't necessarily make for a good film, but it shows promise in the director's skill. I should mention that I personally found none of the characters sympathetic, and from this point of view the film strikes me as a study in human duplicity. The ending, however, suggests hope in what is otherwise a very brutal and dark portrayal of human relationships.

What sort of person would.- a - make this type of movie? b - like this type of movie?

Pretentious, vile crap. Don't bother.

I had not heard of this film until recently airing my grievances about the inept and much-lauded 'Closer', but was recommended to it by a girlfriend who strangely described it as 'offensively unforgettable'. Structured similarly to its feeble counterpart, we follow two partner-swapping couples who confess their (in)fidelity explicitly and coldly. A recently married wife is gripped by jealousy when himbo husband sees an ex-girlfriend on TV, while couple number two exhume a submissive side of role-playing with only one willing participant.

The writer/director - known only as Noli - refuses to compromise on the emotional darkness, overloading each set-piece with ear-bleeding conversation that is shockingly provocative if at times a little pretentious. It is very easy to switch off and become immune to the onslaught, but you are drawn 'closer' to each character's world of deeply-rooted sexual anxiety and insecurity. And most compelling is the recognition of some these grotesque inner feelings.

Visually, it is a knockout. Narratively, it drags, but constantly surprises and intrigues. Artistically, it puts 'Closer' to shame with its darker version of a darker truth.

This is a unique film. I cannot compare it to anything I have seen before. The director's stark words and powerful images leave an indelible mark. The acting is excellent and shows true courage as there is much nudity and sexual abuse. Mark Ryder's music complements the disturbing images superbly and shows that he is one of the very best in the business. This is a film to see.