Obsessions can be deadly

Rating: 8/10 (30 March 2006)

Ahh, the joys of middle age. I remember a day at work, when a customer referred to an old gray haired guy who had waited on him. I didn't know who he was talking about; then it dawned on me; he was talking about me. Middle aged men, like Kevin Spacey, do have these fantasies from time to time. The girl in question is so unapproachable and so unconquerable, it should never have been an issue. In the meantime, we have the guy next door, with the hangups and his sexual identity issues. It's a sick mix. It's intriguing, but who would want to be there? Of course, marriages begin to fall apart, people begin to try to be what they are not, and the dominoes start to tumble with great dispatch. Someone is going to get hurt; someone may even die. Like Gene Wilder in "The Woman in Red" if our lives ended right now, it may be worth it. Unfortunately, tomorrow is another day. What were we thinking? Is this bravery or foolishness or madness or hormones or what? The sense of betrayal that filters through everything puts a pall over the ether.
The acting is excellent. This movie is so intense and so absorbing, you can't take your eyes off it, like a traffic accident. I don't feel better for having seen it, but it's a sign of our time in life.