Review of Intimacy (2001) by Jim C — 23 May 2004

Remember the This Moral Coil song [i]Acid, Bitter and Sad[/i]? That's what they shoulda called this movie. It's about a guy named Jay that up and leaves his family to become a bartender and wallow in his failed musicianship-ness. Along the way he hooks up with a girl named Claire. Every Wednesday she comes to his house and they have passionless, wordless sex. Seriously! Jay opens the door, they go upstairs to Jay's room and hump away and she then leaves after they've said barely a word to each other. After a while of this, Jay gets curious and wants to know more about Claire; because she won't open up to him, he follows (stalks) her. He finds out that she teaches acting at a local community school and has dreams (delusions?) on being a star one day. Jay once follows her to a pub where Claire performs in a play in the basement. He happens to run in to her husband and child and he then (of course) beings reassessing the situation.

I just don't "get" this film. I mean, I know where it's trying to go but there's no "passion" in *any* aspect of the story. Jay isn't passionate about his music or his job. Claire isn't passionate about teaching acting - because she wants to be a star - but isn't passionate about it because she knows she'll never be Judy Dench. Even the sex scenes - upon which the whole movie is based - [i]and which are about two people having an affair[/i] - are without joy or smiles or freedom or getting attention - or anthing else which someone might have an affair for.

I've often said that I don't like depressing films that enjoy wallowing in the nasty underbelly of society - like [i]American Beauty [/i]or any Wes Anderson movies. But hell - at least those movies are [i]well made[/i]. I'd sit through Annette Bening screaming "Yes your majesty!" a hundred times before sitting through [i]Intimacy [/i]again.

On the plus side, Timothy Spall is magnificent as usual.