Rating: 
Summary: Some People Do Not Understand
Review: I must say that I read this book when I was 15 years old. I appreciated the depth of it then, and I do feel bad for those that do not grasp what the author is getting at. One person called it 'plain', but she is telling a plain story and making the emotions and and circumstaces real to you. And to David: I have also read The Secret History by Donna Tart. I enjoyed it and found that it parallels with Damage. I found myself thinking that Josephine Hart and Donna Tart must be the same person. I can't imagine that you would see the amazingness in one and not the other. Now 17, I am very grateful that I was able to see the depth of both of these novels.
Rating:
Summary: "Damaged people are dangerous...they know they can survive"
Review: DAMAGE takes a powerful look at beyond-your-control obsession and it's consequences. Not since BODY HEAT have I been more taken with a femme fatale. As many other reviewers have pointed out, the title is loaded with meaning. If you've seen this film as many times as I have, you might come to the conclusion that there could be no better title. The line "Remember, damaged people are dangerous..." is the major theme of this film. Judging from some of the negative reviews, this movie has infuriated some, who primarily say they didn't find it believable or who have no sympathy for the two characters caught up in the affair. I must argue that this definitely IS a five star film. Perhaps the key to savoring it is to look at the social class of these characters and the psychology of everyone involved. I would go so far as to suggest you watch it twice. The first time, watch it for the thoroughly intriguing story. The second time, (since you now know what's going to happen) study Jeremy Irons and Juliet Binoche's body language. Consider the type of man Fleming is at the film's beginning and who he becomes. Concentrate on secondary characters like Mrs Fleming and her daughter and Fleming's secretary. You'll see how they were used to convey the sense of mistrust and foreboding. The appearance of Anna's mother is also compelling. The warning she gives Fleming in the car does much to address how important body language is in this film. Most American films seem very heavy handed when dealing with matters of the heart and culturally American actors seem to be obtuse when conveying passion. For the most part, they seem completely incapable of the delicate sensuality so necessary for a story like this to unravel. The combination of director Louis Malle and artists Juliet Binoche, Jeremy Irons and Miranda Richardson (none of them American) should clue you in to the promise that this film can deliver. DAMAGE starring Matt Damon, Michael Douglas, Meg Ryan and Gwyneth Paltrow would have been a mess. This film relies on visual sensuality and needed a femme fatale as strong as Juliette Binoche (whose beauty is as legendary as Ingrid Bergman's) to make the obsession plausible. Jeremy Irons is thoroughly genius and believable as a man who is practically dying of ennui until the mysterious Anna awakens him. His passion for her so consuming, that even when he has lost everything, her photograph becomes the focal part of his dwelling. Miranda Richardson's performance is subtle but monumental in establishing the propriety and good breeding of Mrs Fleming. She practically steals the whole show at film's end. During her outburst she is hysterical with rage but manages to tell Fleming "you are not a bad man...". The importance of this again, shows how Fleming's need for Anna completely outweighs his conscience. I wholeheartedly recommend DAMAGE to anyone who says "it's been a long time since I've seen a good movie." I would give this film ten stars if I could. In addition, you may want to check out the book by Josephine Hart, whose written images were so vivid that Louis Malle insisted on bringing the book to life.
Rating: 
Summary: Awesome insight
Review: To anyone who did not care for this book: it's unfortunate that you do not have the depth to recognize or appreciate the incredible skill demonstrated in Josephine Hart's novel "Damage". Her understanding of a relationship's subtleties and nuances, as well as associated unbridled passions that cannot, at times, be denied, is extremely insightful. She gets it. And at the same time she's also able to very eloquently, yet concisely, articulate an intensely moving story. Kudos to Ms. Hart for an incredible piece. I look forward to reading any and all of her as yet unpublished work.
Rating: 
Summary: Couldn't take it seriously for lack of subtlety
Review: Maybe I'm too much of a cynic or was in the wrong mood but I just couldn't believe the interaction between Jeremy Iron's character and his son's fiancee. When the two were introduced, it was obvious that they were attracted to each other--WAY to obvious. The two would stare blankly at each other and remain motionless. I cannot picture my father doing that, especially with me sitting next to him. It was very convenient that no one else noticed these blank stares. Now, I know that the eye contact meant acknowledgement of each other's attaction, that a relationship would be very risky and potentially damaging and that they were willing to take that risk. The cinematography suggested that these were SERIOUS moments but they were a bit overdramatized. I laughed my a** off each time these moments occured found it impossible to concentrate on the movie. I couln't watch after an hour at most. I guess one either buys into this sort of thing or one doesn't at all.
Rating:
Summary: Believable except for the protangist
Review: I found the book believable except for the protangist. It was really like the cuckalod women trying to write the story from the adulatorous point of view. It's hard for them to see the motivation in the other women. She did, however, get the family part right.
Rating: 
Summary: Indecent by all means...
Review: Well do not get me wrong. After many years of marriage a guy might seek a change and than have an affair with a woman, and the reply to the question about how well the marriage had been going would probably justify the seek for an extramarital affair. But why the son's girlfriend? And the girlfriend's accepting to get married to the young son so that it could be easier for her to continue adultery which she had already started with the would-be father in law is extremely abhorrent. What is next? Another movie in which a man has an affair with his own daughter? This movie makes normal adultery look more and more decent. An abnormal story. Do not waste your time.
Rating:
Summary: Powerful
Review: Emotionally powerful performances in this sensuous and erotic story of the destruction caused by unbridled passion and obsession.
Rating:
Summary: How could it go any other way?
Review: I routinely go on Juliette Binoche hunts. From Andre Techine's "Rendezvous", through Phil Kaufman's "The Unbearable Lightness of Being", and Kieslowski's spectacular "Blue", there is only one way to Anthony Minghella's "The English Patient", and Chatal Ackerman's "Couch in New York" and that road goes right through Louie Malle's "Damage". I am just young enough to have missed Malle in his prime, my perspective and morality just askew enough to not fully appreciate say 'Pretty Baby" or "Lacombe Lucien" even his wonderful "Atlantic City" eluded me for some time. But Damage, from the extremely short novel of Josephine Hart is a story that must be told, and Louie Malle is a superb storyteller. American movie-goers tend to shy from the psychological drama, of which this film is a superb example, as they somewhat shy away from the movies lead, Jeremy Irons. Iron's character, Fleming is a Minister in the cabinet of the British Prime Minister. He's from proper upbringing, his stance is rigid, his tone short and dismissive-he's a man holding in his gut for the entirety of his life who's getting ready to pop all his buttons in one fail swoop. His distraction for Anna (Binoche) the fiancée of his only son, has an intensity that is combustible and I would be derelict to tell any more of the tale. Not for all tastes, maybe not even for all mature tastes, but when you're in the mood for something adult, something intense, I suggest you look here.
Rating:
Summary: An Archetypal Masterpiece
Review: Malle, Irons, Richardson and Binoche present here an unforgettable vivisection of the human cost of emotional repression...and the explosions caused by it. Never have we seen more icily controlled behavior than Irons masterfully shows us as he vies for political ascendency in Britian...along with his equally ambitious wife. But the safety valves stay locked too long, and the results are terrifying. I still cherish the last scene in which we see him preparing his meal in the little house in Portugal? Some may feel that Malle meant that this life was a failure. I see it as a success: he finally got it resolved. It was what he came for.
Rating:
Summary: An insult to my intelligence
Review: A man meets his son's girlfriend at dinner. The next day, she calls him and they MUST meet to start a torrid affair. This might work if ANY of the actors in this movie showed any emotion or passion, but they don't. I haven't seen acting this flat, this icy, or this bad in years. The whole premise is presented in such a completely gratuitous manner, as to suggest that the only purpose for this movie is to present Ms. Binoche's body for cheap thrills. Even the sex scenes are laughably contrived. Give me a break. If you want an excuse to watch "soft-core," this is the movie for you, but if you're looking for a meaningful story to go along with the love scenes, try elsewhere.
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