Failed musician Jay abandoned his family and now earns a living as head bartender in a trendy London pub. Every Wednesday afternoon, a woman comes to his house for graphic, almost wordless, sex. One day, Jay follows her and learns about her. This eventually disrupts their relationship.
Acting
Rylance and Fox's fearless physical vulnerability
Direction
Chéreau's unblinking handheld intimacy
Cinematography
Grimy London spaces that feel lived-in
Director
Patrice Chéreau
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The unsimulated sex scenes caused Kerry Fox to be dropped by her US agent; Mark Rylance nearly quit acting from the stress.
Based on Hanif Kureishi's short story, but Chéreau stripped away the narration to force pure physical storytelling—making it essentially a silent film about bodies that fail to communicate.
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