"Where Movie Critics Get A Taste Of Their Own Medicine"
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Many reviews of Roman Polanski’s "The Pianist" claimed that the film was a comeback after two decades of failure in the wake of his twin triumphs "Chinatown" and "Tess" and while it is hard to argue that two of his least interesting films emerged during that period (the dull "Frantic" and the disastrous "Pirates"), he did some fine, underrated films as well and with his current career resurgence, perhaps now they will finally get their due. Most overdue for reappraisal is "Bitter Moon", his jet-black comedy of (bad) manners and sexual obsession that is one of his very best films to date. While on a cruise, a repressed British couple (pre-stardom turns from Hugh Grant and Kristin Scott Thomas) encounter a crippled writer (Peter Coyote) who incessantly tells them lurid tales of the increasingly kinky and depraved relationship he fell into with a strange young woman (Emmanuelle Seigner, Polanski’s real-life wife-fairly startling when you see what she is asked to do here). Most people will likely find the adventures to be perverse and grotesque and I am not going to argue that. However, I will say that Polanski delivers the goods with a fierce energy and his trademark sense of dark humor that makes the often-unpleasant material strangely compelling; like the "normal" couple, you will probably be disgusted and horrified but, like the Coyote character, Polanski tells the story with such conviction that you will find yourself unable to look away. (Another little-seen Polanski gem from the same period, 1994’s "Death and the Maiden", is now also on DVD and shows him wringing maximum drama and suspense with only three characters, one room and a chair and features a stunning turn by Sigourney Weaver as a torture victim who gets the chance to get revenge on the man who may have been her abuser).

CREDITS: Written by Gerard Brach, John Brownjohn and Roman Polanski. Directed by Roman Polanski. Starring Peter Coyote, Emmanuelle Seigner, Hugh Grant and Kristin Scott Thomas. Rated R. 139 minutes. 1992. A New Line Home Video release. $19.95.

Copyright © 2003 Peter Sobczynski
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While the views expressed by Peter Sobczynski do not necessarily reflect the views of Criticdoctor.com, the Critic Doctor will occasionally examine Mr. Sobczynski's film reviews to bring forth an honest examination of those views expressed.