Customer Reviews

Bitter Moon

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Roman Polanski has never been accused of being a timid filmmaker. Over the years, his many movies have been distinguished by their potent subject matter and sure-handed direction. They are certainly not for everyone's taste, but those who like Polanski films tend to like them very much indeed. Bitter Moon is no different. It is one of the most frank and deliciously outrageous films I have seen in a long time.

The story begins with a very staid and proper British couple on an ocean voyage. Nigel and Fiona (Hugh Grant and Kristen Scott-Thomas) are hoping to rekindle the faint spark of romance that is left in their marriage. What they get instead is something much more than they bargained for.

Almost immediately, they meet Mimi (Emmanuelle Seigner), a seductive French femme fatale, and her crippled husband Oscar (Peter Coyote), a failed American writer. Oscar knows that Nigel desires Mimi and he is willing to accommodate him, but first Nigel must listen to the sordid story of their life together.

I don't want to give away too many of the details, for the shock of hearing their tale is the best part of the film. It is, at various turns, erotic, outrageous, outlandish, hilarious, titillating and unbelievable. What it is certainly not is boring. As we peek in on their bizarre sex life, first stimulated, then horrified, we are never quite sure what is true and what is fantasy. Against his better judgment, Nigel finds himself drawn into their twisted, little world and the results do not disappoint.

It seems that it always takes a European director to make a film such as this one. Americans are far too timid about sexuality to deal with it in an frank and adult manner. You can count on Polanski or Paul Verhoeven or Bertrand Blier to make a film like "Bitter Moon." But what about Spielberg or Scorsese or Coppola? Never. When it comes to films involving violence, American directors can be as bold and explicit as one could ever desire. In stories involving eroticism and sensuality, however, they are sadly lacking.

Due to some regrettable incidents in Polanski's past, his films seldom get the respect they deserve in this country. That is unfortunate because his work is generally superb. His 1988 thriller "Frantic," starring Harrison Ford, remains one of the best, most unappreciated films of recent years. "Bitter Moon" was first released in Europe in 1992, but it took two years for it to finally be shown in America. Anyone who ignores this one, though, will be missing a damn fine film.

I was compelled to write this review based on the handfull of negative reviews (like the one below).

I think this movie is an absolute gem. First off, taking a step back, this movie isn't about two good people that meet and fall in love. I believe this movie is about what happens when two very base, very bored, and largely devoid of virtue collide. It's about the danger in irrational immoral entanglement (again, this is just my opinion). You see, the sex scenes (some of them anyway) are meant to be laughable. These two hit bottom together and reach (what Peter Coyote, the male partner calls) "sexual bankruptcy"....right in front of your eyes, they get slaughtered by their own insane urges! Brilliant, strange, interesting, depressing, important (especially if you're prone to confuse urges with love).

Peter Coyote gives an amazing performance, Polanski offered up his own wife (Emmanuelle Seigner) as the temptress (c'mon, you've got to give him at least one star for having enough love for this film to direct his own wife through sex scenes).

If you haven't seen Bitter Moon, don't miss this film. I think it raises important questions and warnings about certain popular behavior (or at least tendencies) in relationships. All the while being entertaining, and at times utterly shocking.

Hope this was helpful.

Bitter Moon is surely not for everyone. It's one of Polanski's audacious ones -- he seemed to be far beyond concern over matters of taste. And Emmanuelle Seigner -- easily the pivot of this bizarre tale -- never seemed miscast in a role as a voracious seductress with black widow tendencies, whose amusement is to blind men in the headlights of her sexuality, and step on the gas.

The word "promiscuous" was coined to describe films like this. Like all stories dealing with the extremes of sex, it arrives at moments when we can barely prevent ourselves from laughing (e.g., S&M combines humorless scenarios with absurd choreography.)

It is the easiest thing in the world to criticize movies like Bitter Moonshaking one's head wearily and complaining about the director's zany imagination. And of course a lot of it is wretched excess.

But Polanski directs it without compromise or apology, and it's a funny thing how so many reviewers may condescend to it, but while they're watching it you could hear a pin drop.

An enjoyable one, in a whacky could-they-really-do-that sort of a way.

I first saw this film years ago, and was immediately amazed at not only it's intensity, but where it deliberately dared to go, both with its storyline and dialogue. When I saw it again years later, I was even more impressed than previously thought. At it's essence, the movie is a love story, set in Paris, between Oscar (Peter Coyote) and Mimi, played by the stunningly beautifull Emmanuelle Seigner. Yet this ititial passion, escalates to a such a lust, that any true feelings they have for each other are overwhelmed by the desire to repeat that initial exeburance. Soon Oscar gets bored with the isolation that Mimi brings, and begins to resent their relationship. While Mimi, despite her threats to the contrary, can no longer live without Oscar, having become too drained emotionally to find love outside of their now passionless affair. What begins next, is the true mettle of this film, and takes it on a different course, one filled with chauvanistic cruelty, and female revenge.

All the while, this story is not being played out in real time, but retold, on a cruise ship, to stodgy British pip Hugh Grant, whose uneasiness during the more absurdly erotic scenes extends to the viewer as well. Grant, is on his honeymoon, with his wife Fiona, but due to his immediate attraction to Mimi, spends his days not with his wife, but in the cabin of Oscar. It is there, where he listens, like a voyeur, to the story of Oscar and Mimi in an effort to learn more about his new object of desire, and to parlay that into getting her into bed. What culminates at the end is both shocking and sad, and yet a resolution to the extreme passions of all involved.

It is not Roman Polanski's best film, but unlike Chinatown, his most entertaining. This movie does not lose it's luster after a couple of viewings. Recommend it to your friends, and go buy yourself a copy. Not to be missed, by any standard.

Absolutely most intense, emotionally, movie I've seen in a long time. Peter Coyote here is fabulous. The woman in this movie is Polanski's wife. It was one terrific flic. Very sexually explicit. This movie just pulls out all stops, hitting every emotional button on the way. Never figured out exactly where it was going. Film essentially about two people who love each other intensely - then it turns to hate, but they can never let go. Ending took a real surprise turn. Kind've sad, as it points out, that for a couple to last, there must be more than sexual fire. There should be respect, companionship, and friendship. Sex can never be all. And Polanski also shows that love and hate are very close. You do not care to hurt someone you are indifferent to.

The renowned and legendary director Roman Polanski, has hit a pinnacle of originality with this tragically funny, dark humored sex tale. "Bitter Moon" is a uniquely one of a kind outing that you can't compare to ANY other film.

While on a cruise to put some sparks back into a troubled marriage, Nigel(Hugh Grant) and his wife Fiona, played by Kristen Scott Thomas (4 Weddings & a Funeral, also with Grant) meet Oscar (Peter Coyote) paralyzed from the waist down in a wheelchair, and his unexpectedly beautiful sexpot wife Mimi(Emanuelle Seigner).

Oscar senses a voyueristic listener in Nigel after taking note of the obvious attraction he has for his wife. Oscar invites Nigel to join him on board as he weaves the fairy tale start of how such an unlikely couple came to be. While we listen and watch in flashback, Oscar spins tales of obsession at first sight, an affair of wild passionate lust, a turn to kinkiness followed by boredom, and last but far from least, a two-fold twist of power within the relationship that changes everything.

Peter Coyote plays his role as Oscar the narrator, in a wonderfully slimy and of course "bitter" way. It's hard to decide if you hate him, feel sorry for him, or a bit of both. Hugh Grant is suitably uptight in the proper British stereotype, as Nigel. While he claims to be thoroughly offended by Oscar's rantings, his "virgin" ears keep begging for more of the same. Kristin Scott Thomas plays Fiona, the proper English wife of Grant's Nigel. Up until the "bitter" end, she is disgusted and suspicious that her husband is having an affair with Mimi, whom Nigel obviously finds to be a fascinating and mysterious creature indeed. Apparently, he's not the only one, as you'll see. Oscar dangles her like bait, and Nigel is hooked. As each intallment of Oscars story is told, Nigel becomes more and more desperate to uncover the mystery. Oscar relishes the sadistic hold he has on Nigels attention. He is like a drug dealer doling out doses of Mimi to an increasingly desperate imagination.

Seigner, a distinctive beauty, who happens to be Polanski's wife, is almost unrecognizable from when she appeared in Polanski's "Frantic." Compared to the skinny waif she'd been then, she is definitely and appropriately voluptuous here. A few extra pounds never looked so good, or worked so well. The role of Mimi calls for a total woman with femme fatale curves. When you view this film for yourself, you will understand what I mean.

One thing is for certain, with "Bitter Moon" you feel like YOU'VE been in Nigel's shoes along with him. You will also relate to Nigel because this film will most likely shock, perhaps offend as well too, but like Nigel, you WILL keep coming back for more.

This really is a very unusual film, structurally and in its subject matter. The majority of the action takes place in flashback, with Peter Coyote's crippled writer relating tales of his love/lust affair with the stunning Emmanuelle Seigner to a hooray Henry played, surprise, surprise by Hugh Grant. In fairness to Grant his performance as Nigel is good, and this is before his role in Four Weddings And A Funeral catapulted him to stardom and eventual typecasting. Grant's reactions to Coyote's tales of sexual perversity, obsession, domination and cruelty serve as a comic foil to the rather heavy tone of the rest of the movie, preventing it becoming too dark.

There are a few sexually explicit moments but they do not dominate the movie, which is more psychological and intelligent than that. One aspect which was not touched upon in the film was the possibility that the writer could be making most of it up - are these just his fantasies or did it all really happen? The structure makes it look as though you are watching two movies, one set in Paris, and the other aboard a boat. Indeed there were two separate crews, and Grant and Kristen Scott Thomas are only ever seen on board the ship., as are the other star names, Victor Bannerjee and Stockard Channing. It looks almost as though director Roman Polanski has made a very black film with the fairly unknown Coyote and Polanski's wife Seigner, then in order to sell the thing to Britain and America has tacked on a framing device with some well known actors in it.

Special mention must go to the movie's music, from Vangelis's incidentals to Sam Brown's superb Stop and other 1980s hits, the film exudes good taste. There are a couple of re-recorded hits, but they are done so well I didn't notice until I saw the credits.

The performances are good, the action convinces (Despite a bad model shot of the liner in a storm - it seems really small as the water has not been scaled properly), and you are left with combined feelings of fascination and disgust. This is not for the faint hearted, but enjoyable and thought provoking if you are prepared to suspend your moral judgement for a couple of hours.

"Bitter Moon" directed by the amazing Roman Polanski is gorgeously photographed, impeccably acted by one and all, magnificently scored and with a story that will knock your socks off, both literally and figuratively! This may well be Polanski's best film. It most probably is his most personal.

Watch it with knowing as little as possible about it. Be drawn into it the way you would be drawn into a carnival sideshow. The sideshow here is about sex...and love...and life...and, of course, death. This is a movie about passion and carnal questions and questings and the sado-masochistic impulses that work the puppet strings of the human race. It is a comedy and a tragedy, simultaneously. It is over-the-top and below-the-belt, simultaneously. It is arguably the best film ever made about the male/female sexual and romantic dynamic and dichotomy.

"Bitter Moon" does, indeed, cast a bright light on the deepest yearnings and burnings of men and women.

Bitter Moon is not necessarily Polanski's best film but it certainly ranks as one of my favorites, at least on a personal level rather than film critique as such. Its a very tight film, very romantic, almost too romantic in fact the higher we go the greater the fall. A great story with most interesting characters in it and a very seductive narration. I definitely recommend you take this journey, a great lesson in love.

A story within a story on a cruise ship - the surface story is of a `seven year itch'. A staid and respectable, childless British couple celebrating that volitile aniversary, are heedlessly advised (in regard to the husband anyway) by an Indian sage that children are better marital therapy than a cruise to India. Lust takes over the seemingly conservative Brit played perfectly by Hugh Grant and makes a fool of him. Yes this happens to men all the time.

On said cruise the British couple run into the sexy French siren and her crippled, older, storytelling husband who latches on to the Brit husband to tell his never-published autobiographical novel slash cautionary tale. And as for the interior story of the writer and his French obsession, it shows how`greediness' for hedonistic fantasy can lead to dark, sadististic or at least regrettable behavior. Suffice to say, everyone learns this lesson in their own way in the end.

A subtle theme here is the portrayal of the failed writer, who buys into fantasy too strongly and tries to make life imitate art until both his life and art fall short of any success, (this, like the lust in the male seven year itch, is another truism - failed artists often go too far into fantasy forgoing realism which ultimately causes frustration and failure) other than telling his story orally to one mere chump on a cruise who completely misses the point and is ready to cash in his perfectly respectable life for a brief scandalous trist in the very manner that made the cripple such an abomiable obnoxious loser. Much like the Siren song from Homer (who was also cruising the Mediteranian, wasn't he?)

Great score by Vangelis too, capturing romance and tragedy in one theme.