Bitter Moon (1994)

A psychologically sadistic narcissist/sociopath (Oscar) subjects an immature naive young woman (Mimi) to a relationship of Idealization- -devaluation--callous discard. She moves from highly valued to worthless in the blink of an eye and does not comprehend why this happened. After completing the disordered relationship loop and lacking the internal prohibitions that prevent normal people from deliberately maltreating a vulnerable person, he becomes highly sadistic & gratuitously cruel,he literally brings her to her knees. Not realizing that he is severely personality disordered,she desperately clings to him trying get an explanation-some kind of reasoning that will allow her to make sense of it all. Unfortunately, instead of moving on from this negative experience she becomes seriously unhinged and decides to play him at his own game. Furious and unable to fully understand why he went off her, she embarks on a vicious campaign of revenge which leaves him physically paralyzed & dependent on her as his caregiver. The two of them become locked in a disordered form of mortal combat. Everything becomes a power play which eventually leads to her murder and his suicide.

A flawed but classic adaptation of the novel, "Lunes de Fiel", by Pascal Bruckner. Screenplay by Polanski and several others. The flaws are Peter Coyote's acting, which almost sinks the movie (sorry for the pun, as it takes place on an ocean voyage). He is just so wrong, as the star of this movie. He barely has any normal speaking inflection, and is not present, as an actor, as he is not acting here; not sure what he is doing, actually. I am surprised Polanski put up with him. No doubt there is more to that story. His performance is all the more obvious and sad, esp when playing against the very capable and professional Hugh Grant and Kristen Scott Thomas. I am sorry to say that Mrs. Polanski (Emmanuelle Seigner) does not come off well, either, at least in her very emotional scenes, although the lack of depth there does fit her young character. I have seen much better performances from her, to be fair. Great set dressing, makeup, and fashion (Scott Thomas' gown in the last act is brilliant; I want!), well suited for the period (late 70s). The music, composed and directed by Vangelis, is subtle but fitting, and the popular songs are well chosen for the period. This is a meaty psychological story about infatuation, love, sex, and obsession. And being careful what you pray for. Some quite nice dialogue and a return to the creative and gritty screen writing of earlier cinema (with very modern dialog, so watch before your kids). It is also a captivating film, spare, nothing wasted, wonderfully edited. It will grab you from start to finish (if you can stand Coyote), and the finish has a clever twist. Although the final scenes will be anticipated by some viewers. If you are a Polanski fan or just into film or film history, this is a must see and a fine example of film-making.

Not as much as underrated as much as forgotten, "Bitter Moon" is a stellar portrayal of a dysfunctional marital relations ans a story of the edge between love and madness which opens the question whether love can make all of us madmen. The movie contains powerhouse performances from all actors involved and the fact that whole plot is happening on a boat leaves a sense of claustrophobia and suffocating. However, the real story and background lie in the flashbacks of a leading actor, played by Peter Coyote whose intimate confession to a fellow passenger (played by Hugh Grant) about his marriage, pushes Hugh's character in a bizarre triangle between his own wife (played by Kristin Scott Thomas) and Peter's character's wife (played by Emmanuelle Seigner). Both married couples are faced with desire, self-destruction and deceit in this poignant drama, which does carry a recognisable trademark of its director, Roman Polanski.

Bitter Moon is one of those really good movies from 1993, another I imagine was overlooked. It could of not have gotten the respect it deserves, but respectively it should. Starting with the great opening score by Vangelis, in no nonsense style, we're thrown into the story. A reserved British couple, none more fitting than High Grant and Kristin Scott Thomas, though the other three mains are better than Hugh, are on board a ship, en route to Istanbul. They became part of this guy's game, crippled and of course bitter playboy, Peter Coyote. Through much flashback running time, we see how he got this way, where, before his crippling fate, he struck up a romance with a dependant beauty (Polanksi favorite, Seigner), many years his junior. What begins is one steamy affair, which slowly begins to break away, where I thought Peter Coyote's character, was for most part, during the flashback, was an utter ar..hole, where finally the romance puts a strain on him. I'm actually glad he got what he deserved, where now Seigner, the best performer in this, became the victor. Becoming a painful though aroused ear to Coyote's wonderfully and boldly descripted, if slightly explicit recounts is Grant, who stays for the long duration over many days, in Coyote's cabin. You really don't see much of KST in it, but it's more Seigner and Coyote's movie. The movies not explicit as you would expect, where you'd fare better with Body Of Evidence, earlier around the traps that year. Seigner's erotic scene, stroking her boobs with spilt milk indeed is the highlight, which owes a bit to 'Last Tango' in Paris. What the movie has that I loved, is the way this love stories told, in detail, as to how we see more differences of opinion, the more we firther through the story, where it worsens later in the break up phase. Seigner's so emotionally dependant on Coyote, the point where she suffers rejection, truly tugs on your heartstrings, where this dependence starts to weigh Coyote down. As for the finale shock ending, I would say it ended this very dangerously dramatic tale off beautifully. Love him or hate him, Polanski knows how to make movies, this one, of his greatest feats. Fine drama, all the way down the line. A definite track down.