The Blood Oranges

While the acting wasn't fantastic, I found the movie interesting from the point of view of the way the open marriage of Fiona and Cyril was explored, and how it was treated by people viewing it from the outside. And how the new couple of Colin and Catherine reacted in different ways to the ideas presented, and how their feelings evolved.

I think that a lot was left out, and I am looking forward to reading the book to get some more of the background about why things happened they way they did, and what the history of the two couples are.

I'd recommend watching this movie, but keep an open mind, and imagine how you would react, given the situations presented.

''My fiction,'' he goes on to say, ''is generally an evocation of the nightmare or terroristic universe in which human sexuality is destroyed by law, by dictum, by human perversity, by contraption, and it is this destruction I have attempted to portray and confront in order to be true to human fear and . . . Ruthlessness, but also in part to evoke its opposite, the moment of freedom from that constriction, from that restraint, and from death.''

I saw this movie just recently and liked it a lot. It's a different take on marriage and relationships and for that reason alone worth seeing. It's very different from the usual Hollywood version of romance and marriage. I once saw Hollywood described somewhere as a machine for making marriages, well this movie is an antidote. As a movie it's subtle and works through imagery and symbolism integrated into everyday reality and succeeds pretty much. John Dance does a great job and the supporting cast is just as good. The movie is perhaps summed up by the line utterance by John Dance's character Cyril: "Monogamy is the enemy of marriage". Many could be outraged at this movie, but it's just possible the movie has got it right.

I got this for my "Charles Dance" collection. Had seen "Angels and Insects", like many others, so that added to the appeal. Hope the book was better. The premise was fine - an attempt at a somewhat surreal tale of sexual intrigue. Aside from Dance, however, the performances were stilted and silly (especially Sheryl Lee, even if she was supposed to sound like she did - it was a distraction). The dialog certainly could have been written to better develop the characters. Pretty to look at, not enough erotica (and I don't mean soft porn, just erotic). But even Dance looked a bit silly with the "love lunch"...... I like it just enough to watch it again as part of my film library - and even to recommend it to friends who would see the value and look beyond the inane.

The plot was weak, and the story a bit stupid, but I really liked this film. The mood and atmosphere appealed to me. It's set in an old village in a tropical setting, the characters were all a bit mysterious. There's a big psychodrama between all of the characters. You never find out what motivates any of them, but the tension and wondering kept my interest, so I give this an above average rating.