A downward spiral towards destruction of one's morals.

Rating: 8/10 (27 July 1999)

I saw this moviwe because I love Tom Cruise's work. The fact that he'd be staring with his wife as husband and wife made this film even more attractive to me. This being a vision of Stanley Kubrick; the visuals are at sometimes dreamlike and and at other times, utterly chilling. Tom's performance is very convincing; adapting to his wife's actions and then later to the aftermath of his own actions. Mrs. Tom Cruise, er, Nicole Kidman also does a fine job switching between the variences of her character (Wife-mode, Mother-mode, & Bitch-mode). You'd swear she was playing different characters throught the film and not the same one. In an all-too-brief, yet very revealing role, Leelee Sobieski give a dazzling performance as a obviously underage girl whom by circumstances Tom's character runs into. Her character is one that is very sexually uninhibited and extroverted, even to the point of making a profit of her body with it, all with the gentle blessings of her father. Yes, her father. A final note on Leelee: She looked damn hot bouncing around the screen in her flimsy little bra and panties. With that said, I cannot have more respect for her performance. She was supposed to give that effect. The movie was, for me, disturbing at times as it dealt with the subject of infidelity and it's consequences in a couple's relationship. I certainly would not recommend this as a date movie, unless you're in the mood for a never-ending discussion/fight afterwards. It's good for what it is; a drama dealing with some very edgy aspects of being a couple and the extremes one may be lead to if give up caring what happens to yourself.