Famous director of '80s and '90s sex and sleaze, Adrian Lyne, returns after a 20-year absence to sit at the helm of this preposterous, nonsensical erotic-thriller-cum-husband-and-wife tale. Right from the beginning of the film there is a throwback feel in the absurdly exaggerated sexualisation of the female lead, Melinda (played by Ana de Armas). What feels slightly more contemporary, at least initially, is the extent to which Ben Affleck's male lead, Vic, is depicted so blatantly as a willing observer of his wife's infidelities. In one of the film's earliest scenes, he shows curiosity but very little other emotion as he stalks his wife at a distance in the midst of her overt displays of cuckoldry. As the film progresses, however, it becomes clear that he is taking her behaviour very much less calmly than it initially appears. In fact, there are suggestions that Vic may have been going to murderous extremes to put an end to his wife's affairs.
This, unfortunately, is a confused and toothless affair. It fails to paint either a compelling or a realistic portrait of its protagonists' psychologies, and its story fails to stand up to the slightest level of scrutiny. There is also the fact that the premise does not pass muster; there is simply no reason for the couple to be married and even less reason for them to stay so. Added to this, the supporting characters are so under-written that it's a surprise to hear them speaking full sentences. Therefore, you essentially have a film devoid of any semblance of functional, rounded human beings or credible storytelling.
Without any characters to believe in, root for or particularly care about, with the possible exception of the married couple's daughter, Trixie (played by Grace Jenkins), and an absence of any plot elements that make sense we're left with partial nudity, sex scenes, salaciousness, and scandal to keep us stimulated. Ana de Armas is a beautiful woman and so the film has a certain amount of mileage to run with her objectification. Yet, there are no particularly memorable scenes of passion or eroticism that will animate any conversation around the water-cooler. Affleck's character is constantly scandalised, and there is a certain amount of perverse fascination in witnessing the extent of the humiliation he is willing to undergo. On top of this, there is that question which exists throughout most of the run-time: why do Melinda's boyfriends all seem to be coming to a bad end? And how much does Vic have to do with it? The film gives us the answer to this question unequivocally a fair while before it finishes. After that point the focus is simply on how ridiculous the film will become before it ends; the answer, unsurprisingly, is very.
There is a mild relevance to the film's subject matter in the wake of celebrity gossip concerning extra-marital affairs, particularly the way women are viewed for having them and the way men are viewed for tolerating them, but the movie is not interested in exploring any psychological or social themes in any level of depth. In summary, this effort presents a weak story which it tells in an uninspired fashion with the assistance of a beautiful leading lady and a competent leading male. If that sounds like your cup of tea, get pouring.
This, unfortunately, is a confused and toothless affair. It fails to paint either a compelling or a realistic portrait of its protagonists' psychologies, and its story fails to stand up to the slightest level of scrutiny. There is also the fact that the premise does not pass muster; there is simply no reason for the couple to be married and even less reason for them to stay so. Added to this, the supporting characters are so under-written that it's a surprise to hear them speaking full sentences. Therefore, you essentially have a film devoid of any semblance of functional, rounded human beings or credible storytelling.
Without any characters to believe in, root for or particularly care about, with the possible exception of the married couple's daughter, Trixie (played by Grace Jenkins), and an absence of any plot elements that make sense we're left with partial nudity, sex scenes, salaciousness, and scandal to keep us stimulated. Ana de Armas is a beautiful woman and so the film has a certain amount of mileage to run with her objectification. Yet, there are no particularly memorable scenes of passion or eroticism that will animate any conversation around the water-cooler. Affleck's character is constantly scandalised, and there is a certain amount of perverse fascination in witnessing the extent of the humiliation he is willing to undergo. On top of this, there is that question which exists throughout most of the run-time: why do Melinda's boyfriends all seem to be coming to a bad end? And how much does Vic have to do with it? The film gives us the answer to this question unequivocally a fair while before it finishes. After that point the focus is simply on how ridiculous the film will become before it ends; the answer, unsurprisingly, is very.
There is a mild relevance to the film's subject matter in the wake of celebrity gossip concerning extra-marital affairs, particularly the way women are viewed for having them and the way men are viewed for tolerating them, but the movie is not interested in exploring any psychological or social themes in any level of depth. In summary, this effort presents a weak story which it tells in an uninspired fashion with the assistance of a beautiful leading lady and a competent leading male. If that sounds like your cup of tea, get pouring.