This cinematic doctoring allows Jordan to expose us to all sides of the situation while keeping us guessing where the characters will lead us. Their journey is filled with emotional pot holes that make for a bumpy yet exhilarating ride. Adult romantic dramas are always difficult to execute. Either the dialogue sounds tinny, or you never feel the chemistry between the players. Jordan's words ring true, while the chemistry between Fiennes and Moore is so strong you wonder if they are intimately involved off screen.
Some directors use nudity and sex scenes to titillate.
Jordan doesn't just expose his actors, he exposes their passion. Rea hits just the right note as a man who understands he can't be all his wife wants him to be, and yet is man enough to allow her to find those qualities elsewhere. He's sad and lonely, but never pathetic. Ian Hart and Samuel Bould also find favor as the private detective and his son who end up working for both Henry and Maurice. Jordan is a visually arresting filmmaker, and he manages to recreate the period with jaw dropping realism.