Good but too long

Rating: Null/10 (16 July 1999)

The movie is about a married couple, Bill and Alice, who, while split up at a holiday party, get flirtatious with some partiers. After the party, in a frank conversation about sexual behaviour, Alice reveals an ongoing lustful fantasy she has about a Naval officer she once saw in a hotel, which Bill obsesses over and then starts contemplating, then realizing real extramarital activities with prostitutes and infiltrating some secret orgy society, which then discovers the imposter that Bill is, putting Bill, his friends and family in possible danger. This very long movie has all the Kubrick style trademarks, Soft bounce lighting indoors or overcast outdoor lighting, lots of bright onscreen light sources (similar to the bright lights in the Korova milk bar of "Clockwork Orange"), very rich cinematography. Visually a stunning movie but the dialogue pacing is so slow and staccato it brings undue attention to it self. Nicole's character starts this practice while stoned on pot, but then she continues to
utter....one.....word.....at....a.....time......for.....the...rest....of.... the....movie. Sydney Pollack continues this annoying speech pattern in a billiards room conversation with Tom. I thought the movie was overly long for the rather simple plot. Overall, a good movie, but it left many unanswered questions and the too tidy and neat ending was abrupt.