Not what I expected, but very good

Rating: 8/10 (2 December 2019)

This is not a film that can be done in one sitting, but is also so immersive that it is almost a disservice to break it into separate viewings. Doctor (as he so vigorously reminds people) Bill Hartford's (Tom Cruise) and his wife, Alice (Nicole Kidman) wander through their own repressed sexual feelings in a series of unfulfilling and scandalous rendezvous. The protagonists are unerringly narcissistic, but in such an innocent animalistic way that I do not feel shame or disgust for their behavior, rather a detached understanding of their motives. It is almost a relief that the promised and foreshadowed tardy sex scenes never manifest on screen, as it retains the sense of purity in the exploration. The pacing is excruciatingly slow, and meticulous in showing Bills raw emotional journey, and must be approached with a patient mindset.