Project Valentine, Day 24: Damage

When you watch so many movies of one type in a row, you really strongly notice similarities between them that you may not have otherwise seen.  When I planned to have a four day block of Sexytime, I thought that it would be a nice little break, filled with sexy people having sexy sex.  What I noticed, after four days of movies, is that for the most part, moviemakers only make movies about people having lots of sexy sex if those people are also somehow very damaged goods.  Secretary: cutter.  Last Tango in Paris: borderline abusive recent widower.  9 ½ Weeks: sneering control freak.  And tonight, Damage.  I really should have known - I mean, the word "damage" is right there in the title.

The main character of Damage is Stephen Fleming, a British cabinet minister.  He is married with two children, the oldest of whom is a journalist whose star is on the rise and who has a girlfriend he has recently become serious with.  When Fleming meets the girlfriend, Anna, they begin a passionate affair together.  He becomes deeply obsessed with Anna, while finding out dark secrets from her past and struggling with jealousy.  I don't have to spoil the ending to tell you that this isn't going to end well, right?

I can't make too many funnies about this movie, because it's pretty heavy, but I will say that of all the movies I've watched so far this month it had the most intense and erotic love scenes.  The cast is excellent, too: Jeremy Irons, Miranda Richardson, and Juliette Binoche.  (Two out of three have done voicework in award-winning animated movies, too.  I just think that's neat.)

RATING - Not a happy movie by any stretch, but a very good one.  I give it four apartment keys out of five.

LESSON - Consider how the actions you take affect the people you love.

BONUS - Here is my favorite Yo La Tengo song, also called "Damage."