The Blood Oranges

Rating:
Summary: The Pains of Passion
Review: An unusual film about sensuality, morality, and the consequences of free love. Two married couples swap partners for sexual pleasure. I liked this film but it will not be everyone's cup of tea. It is beautifully photographed and has wonderful music. Everything about the film conveys sensuality without being vulgar. The characters pay a price, though, for indulging their passions.

Rating:
Summary: Tedious and Lacking Substance
Review: Having seen and loved "Angels & Insects," I was looking forward to this new sexy drama when it first came out in 1997, only to discover it was an unwatchable load of you-know-what. There are, of course, worse movies than this (all of the films in the "Emmanuelle" series, for example), but this pseudo-drama was truly horrific and terrible. Sex wasn't as shocking or breathtaking as in "Angels & Insects," the story was completely unbelievable, and the actors were disagreeable, all of them. I owe the two stars to some of the finest scenes in the movie- the slow movement of the camera across the blue-walled room with scattered oranges, the sun- "an orange disc above the sea," and some of the scenes in the vineyard. Overall, however, this film was tedious and without substance (since the director produced it himself he didn't have to worry about finding an executive producer). To my knowledge, "The Blood Oranges" was never even released on tape in Great Britain. Take my advice- save your money and buy something else instead, just not the novel on which this film's based- it's even more boring and tiresome.

Rating:
Summary: nnice film about love and sex
Review: I bought this movie without seeing it because it's from the creators of Angels and Insects which I enjoyed, and my gamble turned out to pay off pretty well. Not a fancy movie or a masterpiece of any kind, but a beautifully filmed and subtle film about the relationships between two couples. The scenery is really gorgeous, and I found the dialogue to be sparce but poignant and the sex to be tasteful and almost innocent. IT's almost a coming of age story about two middle aged couples who grow up the hard way. Nothing to die for, but an enjoyable and sensual film.

Rating:
Summary: Rather Insipid Drivel
Review: This film is, rather sadly, lacking in merit. It isn't sensual, it isn't inspired and it isn't worth much time.

The storyline involves two couples in an exotic country who engage in various escapades and the (sometimes unpleasant) consequences of said liasions. However, the thin plot meanders and the characters become unsympathetic early on. This viewer became utterly disinterested within the first half hour.

There are a handful of exquisitely filmed scenes that make wonderful use of light, shadow and color. However, these snippets of brilliance cannot and do not carry the day.

Rating:
Summary: Don't Bother
Review: This was one of the worst movies I've seen recently. I found myself constantly wondering, "Who acts like this?" There was minimal character development, so whenever a major plot twist occurred, it hardly seemed believeable. Any sensuality that the director intended to convey was completely lost because none of the characters was likeable.