- New York psychologist Dr. Bill Capa, haunted by the bizarre suicide of a patient, abandons his successful practice and relocates to Los Angeles. Immediately he finds himself entangled in an explosive sexual relationship with a beautiful but enigmatic woman named Rose, who may hold the key to the mysterious burtal murder of his friend and colleague. System Requirements: Starring: Bruce Willis,
From the novel of the same namewhich has sold over one million copies in 43 languagesthis "sophisticated adaptation of Marguerite Duras' best-selling memoirs" (Variety) smolders on the screen. "Masterfully acted and beautifully photographed" (Critics' Choice), The Lover brilliantly captures the essence of sexual awakening and forbidden desire like no other film has donebeforeor since. Jane March is mesmerizing in the role of a poor French teenager who engages in an illicit affair with a wealthy Chinese ! heir (Tony Leung) in 1920s Saigon. For the first time in her young life she has control, and she wields it deftly over her besotted lover throughout a series of clandestine meetings and torrid encounters. But though the lovers are able to transcend their differences in age, race and class'theirs is a future that French colonial Vietnamese society will never allow.Lovely to look at, this story reveals little more than the characters' nude bodies. Like couples whose only attraction is physical, this has little to offer once it leaves the bedroom. We never learn the interests or inner workings of the lovers in question. They become nothing more than attractive bodies, which makes this little more than a shallow exercise in sexuality. The story is based on the controversial, and supposedly autobiographical, bestseller by experimental French novelist Marguerite Duras. It tells the story of a young French schoolgirl who becomes sexually involved with a sophisticated, older Asian ! man. Set in Indochina in the late 1920s, this is stunningly ph! otograph ed and artfully directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud. That said, the lack of a more satisfying plot means this is merely tastefully produced soft porn.
--Rochelle O'Gorman Haunted by the bizarre suicide of a patient, New York psychologist Dr. Bill Capa abandons his successful practice and relocates to L.A., but his encounters there prove as shocking as the chilling event he has run away from, and he immediately finds himself entangled in an explosive sexual relationship with a beautiful but enigmatic woman named Rose, and the investigation into the brutal stabbing murder of a friend and colleague, Dr. Bob Moore. A moth drawn to a flame, Dr. Capa is lured to Rose by his sexual cravings, and he discovers this woman has the power to fulfill his most reckless erotic fantasies. Yet, the more she satisfies him, the more he finds himself enslaved by her manipulation and control. As Capa gets closer to identifying the killer of his patient, Rose becomes an equally tantalizing myst! ery that he must solve -- if he can stay alive long enough to avoid a lunatic murderer who is stalking him.Psychological twists and turns strangle the plot of this disappointing effort from the director of
The Stunt Man, Richard Rush. Emotionally damaged psychiatrist Bruce Willis leaves his practice behind and moves to LA when a patient commits suicide in front of him. Out of the goodness of his broken heart, he takes over the practice of a murdered colleague (Scott Bakula). Jane March is the needy but mysterious woman who literally crashes into his life, making sexual advances the good doctor soon reciprocates. What March seems to need most, however, is underwear. The plot and the dialogue vacillate between silly and inane, leaving us with some so-so sex and overblown performances. This could explain why it was the winner of the 1995 Razzie Award for Worst Picture. If you want a more effective thriller that delves into damaged psyches, take another look at Alfred Hi! tchcock's
Vertigo.
--Rochelle O'Gorman 
