One of the weaker aspects of this film is the portrayal of the son. He's a jerk all the way through the movie. When he explodes after discovering Irina's job, one could almost forgive him but he is so violent it's not believable. A little more dimension from the director and the actor would have helped round out the character and made for a more interesting film. Marianne Faithfull's performance deserves better.
shareEven factoring in the stress he's going through with a terminally ill son and frigid wife, he still comes off as a prick.
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frigid wife? how do you conclude that?
shareFrigid?
Not sure what in the film revealed that kind of physical problem. They were under stress because of their sick son, but how does that equate to the wife being unresponsive to sexual stimulation/arousal?
If anything, the film indicated that his wife desperately wanted to spend time with her husband, but he spent so much time with his mother - involving her in all aspects. That is likely why, in the end, his mother gracefully bows out and decides not to travel to the hospital with them; they needed quality time as a married couple - and as parents - with their son at such a critical juncture. Something positive like that would likely carry over into intimacy as well.
It was the son who needed to grow up and focus on his wife. The mother figured this out after he threw a highly disrespectful tantrum over her personal, adult choice to work at the club; he acted like a jilted lover or a controlling husband when he found out about her employment...a sacrifice to save his son! That's why his mom knew...what absolutely had to be done.
It was high time to cut the apron strings to "Mommy". *snip-snip*