Bliss

Rating:
Summary: It left me speechless!
Review: This is a extremely moving film. In the beginning you are trully oblivious to the limits this film goes to to capture your undivided attention. This was one of the best movies i have ever seen and by far the most memorable. If your looking for a film to envelope you, move your heart and expand the limits of your mind then this movie is a must. You cannot come away from it not thinking about the power of the human mind.

Rating:
Summary: Hollywood provides a reasonable portrayal of sexual abuse
Review: This movie deserves the "R" rating it has (this movie isn't for the kids and may be VERY rough on a survivor of sexual abuse). That said, it is well made and while it is sensitive to both sides of the issue, it spends more time on the effects on the partner of the survivor rather than the survivor - an often overlooked secondary victim of sexual abuse. This is not a movie for the fainthearted, but it probably represents Hollywood's best effort on the subject of sexual abuse and its effects on husband and wife. END

Rating:
Summary: Sexual Healing
Review: This movie is a must see for anyone who is dealing with the emotional pain of healing child sexual abuse. It is done in a beautifully sensuous heartful manner and deals with a subject that far too many of us come up against on a daily basis. The scars from the abuse change lives and the healing comes through devotion to living your life in love. This movie portrays in gentle beauty the journey home to self. It was paramount in my own healing.

Rating:
Summary: Why isn't Craig Sheffer in more roles like this?!
Review: This movie is moving drama that explores the relationship of a young married couple just on the edge of crisis. Sheryl Lee is convincing in her role as Maria, the paranoid self-critical wife. Joseph, portrayed by Craig Sheffer (in his best role since "Norman Maclean" in River)is intense and loyal to Maria, although he has difficulty getting through to her, and knowing how to help his deeply troubled wife because Maria is dealing with issues buried deeply from childhood. Terrence Stamp, is wonderful as the colorful therapist "Balthazar", and the acting between the three main characters is complementary. Joseph learns more about himself as a man and as a husband through the course of the film, that he begins to understand the meaning of unconditional love, even if it means he might lose Maria. Great movie, raw emotion...why isn't Craig Sheffer in more roles like this!?

Rating:
Summary: A Such Deep and Beautiful Movie !
Review: This movie teaches how to have a such beautiful care to your lover and how to grow with the relation when you really respect the other. It pass inside a therapy session with the brillant work of Terence Stamp as the psicanalist. You change yourself definetely after seen it, specially the way you make love. It is a great deal ! END

Rating:
Summary: OTT
Review: Weak on verismilitude and ignores some critical boundary issues that would in reality lead to a therapist losing his license. Some of the acting is so OTT (Over the Top) that it is hilarious. Nice architecture.

Rating:
Summary: An attempt at sexual honesty
Review: What we have here is a tantra shrink, a psychoanalytic shrink and a women's support group counseling shrink, and together they cure (that's the implication anyway) a woman made frigid, compulsive, obsessive and I forget what else by her father's sexual abuse. This bit of glorification of therapy suffers from the sort of defect usually found in an action/adventure/thriller movie, namely that of simplistic illogic. Mental disorders are not so easily cured, nor are the causes so easily discovered.

Furthermore, the problem with any attempt at sexual honesty, publically speaking, is it's really impossible because we are within the sexual system ourselves and subject to its taboos, no matter how we might try to break free. Ironically, this restraint on true expression is felt most keenly by the most highly socialized members of society. It is only the crazies and the great artists who can break free of the taboo system to see what's real and to express it. What we have here is unfortunately not the work of a crazy or a great artist, but the usual Hollywood crowd trying to make a living. They struggle to break free, but are trapped by the duplicity mechanism of the species, and end up with something dictated by the society--that is to say, something politically correct.

The ultra sophisticated tantra shrink, played beautifully and with appropriate sexual duplicity by the talented Terrance Stamp, provides an illustration of what I mean. It is not clear whether he likes his work because of the benefit of what he does for others, or because it affords him the opportunity for sexual conquests. Incidentally, the design of his office/lodgings was perfectly in tune with his character and added significantly to the authentic San Francisco atmosphere of the film. Sheryl Lee plays the sexually-in-need-of-help patient and Craig Sheffer the confused and suffering husband.

I think what we can learn here is the constancy of the veil of illusion that separates us from an authentic view of human sexuality. Our sexuality must be private and not public and as such any public pronouncement is a wash. It's a hard truth to realize, but something known in the heart of every prude and Utah congressman (although not in their conscious minds). When those with starry-eyed visions of telling it like it really is come close to the holy grail of sexual truth they falter. One might call it the magnetic repulsive nature of sexual knowledge.

Having said all this I applaud the attempt. Incidentally the sex scenes are very sexy and the three stars, Sheffer, Lee and especially Terence Stamp, do an excellent job. Director Lance Young is the one who unfortunately sells out, but he had no choice. If he told it like it really is, he'd offend most of his audience.

I wish I could be more specific in this review, but Amazon.com understandably doesn't want to offend its clientele. See the movie--it's worth watching--and see what I mean.