The film has an interesting structure. It is a story that one character tells to the other. The framing story consists of a married couple Nigel and Fiona on a board. During this voyage they make aquaintance with the other couple - Oscar and Mimi. There appears strange relations that involves Nigel for the most part. So Oscar takes Nigel to his cabin and during several evenings tells him the story of his relations with Mimi. At first Nigel is interested then shocked, then disgusted but intrigued at the same time. A couple of times he tries to leave but something in Oscar's story keeps him and he continues listening to his confessions. The story is built partly like a confession to a psycologist, partly like an erotic romance. And actually this story is the main contents of the film but the framing story makes it more interesting and complete.

Oscar is a young American writer (he is brilliantly performed by Peter Coyote) who decided to settle up in Paris and work there. Naturally he's trying to create something amazing, something beyond the ordinarity—in a word some masterpiece that will fame his name in the eternity. He considers that to do this he needs to feel some unusual sensations. Once he meets a woman of his dream. It was only a glimpse but he was looking for her until finally he found his love again. But with his analytical mind it is difficult for him to give himself completely to the partner and even in the moments of highest bliss he can't help analyzing his sensations and feelings. By his character he is much more French than she is as well as she is more American by her type. No wonder that he loves Paris and she is fond of New York. Soon he realizes that sooner or later this extreme happiness would end (as it happened) and he decides to break off with his lover. But it was not an easy thing to do. Mimi falls in love with him but—strange thing—when the curve of his love begins to fall hers blows into passion of such intensity that is difficult to imagine. So when he decides to depart, her love for him is so ardent that she is just unable to leave him.

So the things begin to take a dangerous turn because the balance is very fragile. Oscar treats her terribly and later manages to get rid of her. But an accident happens with him soon and she appeas again. Now their roles change. She is looking after him and some time after that they get married.

Naturally he repents of his past deeds but it's too late now. Gradually their relations come to some balance again. In this cruise they both play a game that other people (Nigel and Fiona) are just uncapable to understand.

The last act is very interesting. All this performance was aimed to get Nigel seduced by Mimi but as a final result we see that it was Fiona who happened to be in bed with Mimi while Oscar watched them. Nigel has nobody to blame though exept himself. No doubt that all this story with its terrible end taught them a lot and the final act was far beyond the ordinary adulter. Oscar and his wife had been tied with such complicated ties which could not be untied in usual way. So they had to be cut like the Gordy knot. So this is what actually happened.

Now a few word about actors. I've already mentioned the wonderful acting of Peter Coyote. Emmanuelle Seigner as Mimi is stunning. She is not really beautiful in this part, sometimes she is really ugly but she embodies that type that Oscar very well described in one of his unpublished novels. What strikes you is that she plays so naturally. She behaves like most people do. Her appearance, her actions - she is amazing in this role. She is not a very famous actress. I suppose her beauty does not fit in the ordinary Hollywood style. Actors performing Nigel (Hugh Grant) and Fiona (Kristin Scott Thomas) play wonderfully well too. This is really one of the best films I have seen. I think this psycological drama with an intense narration will attract real conoisseurs of art.

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