Movie Description
Two films exploring the mysterious nature of sexuality and the fictions people create for themselves are collected together here: THE DOOR IN THE FLOOR and SWIMMING POOL.
THE DOOR IN THE FLOOR: Delicately balancing a young man's coming-of-age with a married couple's experience of trauma and loss, this adaptation of John Irving's A WIDOW FOR ONE YEAR compares with THE CIDER HOUSE RULES as a successful and faithful adaptation of the popular author's work. The film details a summer of trial separation between husband and wife Ted (Jeff Bridges) and Marion (Kim Basinger), whose union was shattered by the loss of their two sons. Though they have one remaining daughter (Elle Fanning), Ted--a popular author--hires a greenhorn writing assistant, a young man named Eddie (Jon Foster). Expecting to learn writing from a master, Eddie is little more than a glorified chauffeur for his accomplished idol. However, Eddie receives some useful lessons in manhood from the beautiful yet emotionally distant Marion, as an obsessive crush blossoms into passionate first love. While the family's scenic estate in the Hamptons provides an illusion of contentment, the tension between Ted, Marion, and Eddie only builds. Meanwhile Eddie struggles to understand the reasons for the family's painful disintegration. The strength of writer-director Tod Williams's adaptation lies in the complexity of its characters, who are given depth by a talented cast that also includes Mimi Rogers. With the narrative unfolding like a mystery, viewers have the refreshing opportunity to unravel the details of this intricate story.
In Francois Ozon's SWIMMING POOL, Charlotte Rampling plays Sarah Morton, a prim and proper British author who has written a successful series of mystery-crime novels. However, when she visits her London publisher (Charles Dance) in a dour mood, wearing a depressive pout, and complains that she's no longer his favorite, he invites her to use his vacation home in the south of France as a tranquil escape to try her hand at writing something different. Once there, Sarah receives an unexpected and highly unwelcome visit from his bold, sexy, confrontational teenage daughter Julie (Ludivine Sagnier). The two are instantly at odds with each other, as Julie drinks, smokes, and slinks around the pool topless. Her loose sexual mores and mysterious late nights infuriate Sarah, whose puritanical unease is only exacerbated in Julie's presence. Wonderful scenes of Sarah writing at her computer, her lips twitching wickedly with twisted inspiration, indicate that the story is about to take a turn for the weird. And that it does, quickly, as booze-clouded activities by the swimming pool become dark and seedy. In this immaculate thriller, Rampling and Sagnier ignite the screen with static tension. Stunted conversations, resentful glances, and strange insights about the personality of each character give the story a tangible electricity. The idyllic vacation home and sun-drenched swimming pool put an ironic spin on the haunting story. And as Ozon works his magic with pensive camerawork, providing moments of true visual comedy that only enhance the plot's intrigue, viewers will delight in what is at once an understated yet powerful narrative feat.
| Credits | | Cast: | Charles Dance, Charlotte Rampling, Kim Basinger, Ludivine Sagnier, Mimi Rogers |
| Details | | Edition: | Back To Back |
Notes
THE DOOR IN THE FLOOR
DVD Features:
Region 1
Snap Case
Anamorphic Widescreen - 2.35
Audio:
Dolby Digital 5.1 - English
Dolby Digital 5.1 - French
Additional Release Material:
Audio Commentary - 1. Tod Williams - Director, Terry Stacey - Director Of Photography, Alfonso Goncalves - Editor, Marcelo Zarvos - Composer, Eric Daman - Costume Designer
Featurette - 1. FRAME ON THE WALL
2. NOVEL TO SCREEN, An Interview With John Irving
3. Anatomy Of A Scene
SWIMMING POOL
DVD Features:
Region 1
Keep Case
Anamorphic Letterboxed Widescreen - 1.85
Dual Layer/Single Side
Audio:
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound - English
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound - French
DTS 5.1 Surround Sound - English
Additional Release Material:
Outtakes/Deleted Scenes
Text/Photo Galleries:
Poster and Picture Galleries
| See an error? Submit a change request |
All rights reserved.
