This first struck me as an intriguing, realistic film about an adult relationship seemingly going bad. It featured some accomplished but relatively unknown actors, including it's main protagonists, Nick Cassavetes and Brenda Bakke, who first meet at an exhibition of Cassavetes paintings, and begin a rollercoaster ride of a romance. The love scenes are handle in a very realistic manner, as they are sensitively done, and not sleazy or exploitative to watch. The lovers seem to be heading towards a shmaltzy lovey-dovey future, but alas we soon see cracks beginning to appear. Cassavetes' character soon bores of Bakke's clingy and personality, as he realises that she is not the free spirited girl he first met. Bakke's character seems hurt by Cassavete's distant behaviour towards her, after they have basically tried and tested every sexual position under the sun. They start to have vicious rows which are well written and executed by the actors. This new dynamic even affects Cassavetes relationship with one of his down-and-out beach bum friends, but unfortunately though, we do not meet any of Bakke's acquaintances. We later see her well-to-do parents, who are horrified at the way she lives with the bohemian artist in sometimes near squalor. When Bakke become pregnant this adds more stress to the relationship, even though Cassavetes is elated by the news. Bakke's character suspects that he is having an affair, and has already guessed that he literally has skeletons in his closet, as Cassavetes hurriedly locks a large chest that he keeps in his studio, when she returns from a shopping trip. Unfortunately what begins as a promising exploration into an adult relationship, doesn't end that way. I won't give away the ending for those who haven't seen the film. But near the end, I thought, "Mmmm. This is pretty brave stuff." Alas, it isn't. The ending is pretty much an insult to anyone who's been in an-up-and down sort of relationship, especially one which involves a child. But having said that, I have seen it twice, because for the first three quarters of the movie, it was very well executed.
