1992 - BITTER MOON, Polanski's relationship film

This is a film about relationships.  It's co-written and directed by Roman Polanski.  The story involves an English couple played by a young Hugh Grant and Kristen Scott Thomas.  They meet another couple while on an ocean cruise.  The other couple played by Peter Coyote and Emmanuelle Seigner are shall we say in a rather complex relationship.  Coyote is a paraplegic in a wheel chair who narrates the story of his meeting and subsequent relationship with Seigner to Hugh Grant all the while Grant attempts to seduce Seigner.

Bitter Moon as some critics pointed out has many parallels to Cul-de-sac, a film Polanski made early in his career which featured another "out there," couple.  Polanski really pours on the sensuality and sexual desire that was prominent in the early stages of Coyote's and Seigner's connection which eventually turned into a kind of codependent hate of each other. It's one sick scene after another throughout the film as only Roman Polanski could do.

 

As is typical with a Roman Polanski film, Bitter Moon is extremely well made and is full of Polanski's very black humor.  If you are looking for a film to share with your significant other for Valentine's day it would probably be best to pass on this.  Emmanuelle Seigner in particular is really something to watch in a "go for it" performance.

 

Unsurprisingly the film was a failure at the box office and to put it mildly was not particularly liked by the critics.  As sick as the film gets by the end it's kind of weirdly reaffirming about achieveing a stability in marriage. 

Written by Roaman Polanski, Gerald Bach and John Brownjohn.  The running time is 139 minutes.