Married Unmarried

Rating:
Summary: offensive yet brilliant
Review: having just watched this film i would forewarn all who purchase it that it is possibly one of the most offensive films for a woman to watch. but i am not dissuading anybody from seeing it as it is a very powerful film with impressive performances. in the central roles, Paul (seganti) is married to Amanda (bellman) and their idyll as a recently married couple is questioned upon the sighting of an ex-girlfriend that sparks the flames of jealousy. the unmarried couple of the title Danny & Kim, extraordinarilly portrayed by ben daniels and kristen mcmenamy, are role-playing their own sexual deviances via the orchestrations of the misogynist boyfriend in a thoroughly unpleasant scene of humiliation and dominance. it is in these scenes that as a woman the film is very difficult to stomach. continuous references of revile are frankly extreme. yet, this film remains hypnotic and unique in its brutal examination of infidelity and hetrosexuality, shot majestically in swathes of big colors that compliment every scene. 4 out of 5 stars.

Rating:
Summary: Dark Blue
Review: When I saw this film it was as if the cinema had slowly sucked out all of the air inside the auditorium such was its unrelenting bleakness. Not exactly an endorsement for an entertaining night in, but this film is not entertaining in that sense. It leaves you battered into submission. Yet, it is absolutely engrossing. Maried/Unmarried examines the sexual desensitization between two couples - the married Paul and Amanda (the impressive Paolo Seganti and the exceptional Gina Bellman of Coupling fame) and the unmarried Kim and Danny (supermodel Kirsten Macmenamy and Brit-actor Ben Daniels). Played out in a series of confessionals, both explicit and unflinchingly honest, it unravels the past and present of each couple via self-contained duologues which neatly utilizes all the possible character combinations. Yes, it's a talking heads movie and if that puts you off then this film is not for you. If however you are prepared to perservere with an intelligently scripted and provocative slice of European arthouse, this immaculately stylized film will satiate the most demanding of palettes for serious adult drama.