This story of emotional violence and psycho-sexual cruelty is pure Polanski. Superb performances from Peter Coyote and Emmanuelle Seigner – though Hugh Grant’s stuttering befuddledness is irritating as usual. The framing story played perfectly off the story being told, even if the kinda-twist ending was a bit contrived. And of course a healthy dose of Polanski dark humor sprinkled throughout. There were several unusual, dated song choices, and Vangelis’ melodramatic score didn’t help – but overall I think you could put this film in the category of flawed masterpieces.
