To me, this movie is perfection.

That was an excellent one.

Simply Perfect

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

A member of Parliament (Jeremy Irons) falls passionately in love with his son's fiancée despite the dangers of discovery.At the time of its release, the film achieved some acclaim. Miranda Richardson was nominated for an Academy Award and won a BAFTA in the category of Best Supporting Actress for her performance as the aggrieved wife of the film's main character. If anyone deserves to be singled out, it is Richardson.This film on its surface is not that amazing. You want it to be, because it is Louis Malle. But this is what happens when you cast Jeremy Irons. He is very understated, and his performances are art that may need to be digested, sometimes in multiple viewings. This is most evident in his work with Cronenberg, but very much here, too.

This film grabs you on several emotional levels and maintains a consistent power to enthral throughout, not a mean achievement in this material and superficial age. The depiction of a ruthlessly predatory female is perfectly rendered by the female lead Juliette Brinoche. Who would think that so much scheming energy could be contained in this pint-sized woman? When her shattering and shocking early life is revealed, then we realise where these searing and ultimately destructive forces originated. One almost feels sorry for Jeremy Irons, the unfortunate man who falls for her in a hopeless tangle of wayward emotions. Then our sympathy quickly evaporates when we realise what a total idiot he is. From then on we fervently hope that the two utterly selfish protagonists are hell bent on their richly deserved demise. We are not disappointed in this respect, but the journey through the course of their torrid affair is not an easy one for the viewer. Satisfied we may be that their just deserts come to fruit, but not before we undergo a roller-coaster ride of emotional intensity rarely seen in modern cinema. It is a fascinating peep into the world of the rich and powerful with their bland acceptance of their fortunate place in society and blinkered assumption that their destiny is somehow richly deserved, predestined even. How cheered we are when events occur that can not only shake them to their self-satisfied core, but also totally destroy them. So although this wonderful film is often an unsettling experience, it has a strong feel-good factor at its heart.

The title here is like a punchline to a joke. In a near two hour film, we have an exceptionally slow plodding story, as if somehow the horrible tragedy near it's end, pays off, which it does on a first view. We feel the whole of this told film in a necessity up to that point. And lets be honest, watching the nubile Irons and Binoche, get it on, we almost wish a re run of the seamy scenes in Basic Instinct, replaced it. There is no eroticism, or chemistry, whatsoever. However I can't say I hated the film. It least does have some humping, whatever, one scene in particular has Binoche covering Iron's eye, while like skyward, dreamily. Irons works as a minister in Parliament, whatever, has a loving and supportive wife, the great Miranda Richardson, the acting stealer here. He lives in riches, has a beautiful teen daughter, a little rebellious sort, and a successful son (Rupert Graves) great too, who works for a paper and who's fiancée', is fatally Binoche. So we, know some sort of Damage is gonna eventuate. For men, cheating is almost second nature. Personally I think Irons character is such an idiot, in part he gets what he deserves at the end of this movie, though you do feel a tad sorry for him. I think Richardson is far sexier than Binoche, but we all know opinions tend to very. This drama, actually a class about it, as in it's slow pacing, where we other family, in one scene Binoche's ex, played by Peter Stormare, in an unusually calm role. What damage does at the end though, leaves you with an afterthought, about the consequences of cheating, where losing the ones we love, comes at a much heavier price. The title artistry is great, with each letter fading onto the screen, of course, in slow succession.

Jeremy Irons is wonderful as Dr. Stephen Fleming, a politician aspiring to the cabinet, a man who is good at "little things" (as his wife notes), like environmental issues, political talks in Brussels, and public relations. He also has a seemingly "perfect" family life. Miranda Richardson is very good here in an understated performance, as his wife. Also, Rupert Graves as son Martyn.Martyn meets Anna (Juliette Binoche), who dresses in black leather (rater trite, typecasting costume at first), and who immediately is attracted to Dr. Fleming although she is dating his son.There is an excellent cameo with the always lovely Leslie Caron as Binoche's infamous mother ( a fun woman married four, almost five times) who makes the mistake of mentioning that Ana has usually been attracted to "the wrong type of man" until now.She is insightful and asks Dr. Fleming to step away from her daughter so as her daughter may have a future, and happy marriage.Of course, as affairs go, the story makes sense, since it cannot be controlled, Dr. Fleming cannot stop his compulsion to be with Anna. The sex scenes are effective and not crudely done, although in the first scene as they make love, Binoche seems rather stiff as she submits to Stephen, after inviting him over to her apartment.I appreciated the realistic and sometimes sardonic nature of this film. An affair always has far reaching effects. The end is a bit of a shock but fits with the motif of this story. I had seen this film many years ago and while Juliette Binoche is lovely I sometimes had the casting idea that a different actress may have fit the wanton role more aptly, not sure who though.At any rate this is an excellent film with many gray areas, anyone who has been married and been through infidelity will appreciate the nuances of this film. 10/10.