Wow...

Rating: 8/10 (17 July 2007)

You would think that a movie about a deceitful mix of four people, would be something along the lines of complete passion, that completely dismisses the painful emotion of love and replaces it with lust. This movie could be nothing further from that. A love triangle, or in this case a square (because it involves 4 people) where all 4 characters romance and ultimately sleep with each others wives and girlfriends. This movie could have easily tossed off as group of people who throw the word love around loosely and would rather get their rocks off than find eternal happiness. This movie could have also made each adulterous character out to be, what most of society would consider human scum. Therefore why have any sympathy for any of them, when each characters morality has been seriously compromised due to overwhelming attractions and lust. Mike Nichols however, avoids this entire scenario by delivering a highly complex, deeply moving masterpiece about the spontaneous attractions we have throughout our lives, and what might possibly happen if these temptations are in fact, acted upon. This movie is created in a unique sort of way. To go further into depth, these four individuals, regardless of what they have done to each other, you cannot help but feel endearing sympathy for all of them. Lines from the script are delivered with passion, conviction, and guilt. Its as if you want a reason to hate these people for their moral shortcomings, but you just cannot due to their vulnerability. I think as far as this film goes, it is a well crafted myriad of human emotion, and fully represents the frailty of what love really means. Well done film. I highly recommend it for anyone interested in a romance, that deeply treads beyond in it's complexity, and sensitivity.