Intimacy (2001)

Director:

Patrice Chéreau

Writers:

Hanif Kureishi (stories)
Anne-Louise Trividic (written by) ...
(more)

Release Date:

28 March 2001 (France)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Every Wednesday, She meets once a week.

Plot:

A failed London musician meets once a week with a woman for a series of intense sexual encounters to get away from the realities of life. But when he begins inquiring about her, it puts their relationship at risk.

Plot Keywords:

Musician | Pub | Bartender | Sex | Ex Husband Ex Wife Relationship

Awards:

6 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Mark Rylance	...	Jay
Kerry Fox	...	Claire
Susannah Harker	...	Susan, Jay's wife
Alastair Galbraith	...	Victor
Philippe Calvario	...	Ian
Timothy Spall	...	Andy
Marianne Faithfull	...	Betty
Fraser Ayres	...	Dave
Michael Fitzgerald	...	Bar owner
Robert Addie	...	Bar owner
Deborah McLaren	...	Student at the drama school
Rebecca Palmer	...	Pam, girl in squat
Greg Sheffield	...	Jay's son
Vinnie Hunter	...	Jay's son (as Vinni Hunter)
Joe Prospero	...	Luke, Claire's son
Sian Reeves	...	Woman at the audition (as Siân Reeves)
Paola Dionisotti	...	Amanda in 'The Glass Menagerie'
Marcello Walton	...	Tom in 'The Glass Menagerie'
Christian Malcolm	...	Jim in 'The Glass Menagerie' (as Christian Malcom)
Amy Lindsay		(as Katie Campbell)
Roderic Culver	...	Barman
Jonathan Emmett	...	Andy's friend playing pool
Gideon Gent
Alison Lintott
Xavier Loira	...	Boy in squat
Kate Orr
Clare Wayland

Directed by
Patrice Chéreau

Writing credits
Hanif Kureishi		(stories)
Anne-Louise Trividic		(written by) and
Patrice Chéreau		(written by)

Produced by
Patrick Cassavetti	....	producer
Jacques Hinstin	....	producer
Peter McAleese	....	line producer
Lesley Stewart	....	line producer
Charles Gassot	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Éric Neveux		(as Eric Neveux)

Cinematography by
Eric Gautier		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
François Gédigier		(as François Gedigier)

Casting by
Karen Lindsay-Stewart

Production Design by
Hayden Griffin

Art Direction by
Jacqueline Abrahams

Set Decoration by
Linda Wilson		(uncredited)

Costume Design by
Caroline de Vivaise

Makeup Department
Karen Edwards	....	makeup artist
Ivana Primorac	....	chief hair stylist
Ivana Primorac	....	chief makeup artist

Production Management
Peter McAleese	....	production manager (uncredited)
Ben Rimmer	....	unit production manager (uncredited)
Lesley Stewart	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
William Booker	....	second assistant director
Spencer Dodd	....	third assistant director (as Spencer Dodds)
Antoine Garceau	....	first assistant director
Jez Oakley	....	third assistant director
Toby Sherborne	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Brian Adams	....	carpenter
Philip Babbage	....	plasterer (as Phil Babbage)
Pat Bailey	....	painter
Peter Burden	....	dressing props
Will Cann	....	dressing props (as William Cann)
Tommy Dowdalls	....	carpenter (as Tommy Dowdells)
Martin Hammerton	....	carpenter
Campbell Mitchell	....	stand-by prop
Tom Pleydell-Pearce	....	prop master
Gary Saunders	....	carpenter
Tom Terry	....	assistant stand-by props
John Watt	....	construction manager
Linda Wilson	....	production buyer
Stefan Zambinski	....	art department runner (as Stephan Zambinski)

Sound Department
Paul Botham	....	boom operator
Katia Boutin	....	post-synchronisation assistant
Laurence Briaud	....	dialogue editor
Xavier Drouault	....	assistant foley artist
Olivier Dô Hùu	....	assistant sound mixer
Jean-Pierre Laforce	....	sound engineer
Jean-Louis Lebras	....	sound
Jacques Lévy	....	post-synchronization (as Jacques Levy)
Françoise Maulny	....	post-synchronization assistant (as Françoise Maulny-Levy)
Nadine Muse	....	sound editor
Philippe Penot	....	foley artist
Francis Perrard	....	consultant: Dolby (as Francis Pereard)
Dick Phillips	....	boom operator
Hervé Roux	....	consultant: D.T.S.
Guillaume Sciama	....	sound engineer

Stunts
Peter Brayham	....	stunt coordinator
Nrinder Dhudwar	....	stunt performer (as Nrinder Dhuward)
Morgan Johnson	....	stunt performer
Crispin Layfield	....	stunt performer
Brian Nickels	....	stunt performer

Camera and Electrical Department
Stephen Bear	....	video playback operator
François Berroir	....	gaffer
Dave Burk	....	generator operator
Xavier Cholet	....	best boy electric
Jack English	....	still photographer
Simon Finney	....	focus puller
Tom Gates	....	electrician
Dai Hopkins	....	grip
Julie Lemasson	....	clapper loader
Micky May	....	electrician
Sarah Rollason	....	clapper loader
Jamie Summers	....	electrician (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Robert Isaac	....	assistant costume designer
Jane Petrie	....	costume assistant
Kate Towns	....	costume assistant
Natalie Ward	....	wardrobe supervisor (as Nathalie Ward)

Editorial Department
Laurence Briaud	....	assistant editor
Hélène de la Morinerie	....	assistant editor (as Hélène De La Morinerie)
Mike Fromentin	....	assistant editor
Alain Guarda	....	grader
Isabelle Julien	....	grader
Lucile Sautarel	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Stéphane Briand	....	assistant music mixer
Valérie Lindon	....	music consultant
Didier Lizé	....	music mixer (as Didier Lize)
Éric Neveux	....	music consultant (as Eric Neveux)

Transportation Department
John Abernathy	....	driver
Mike Beaven	....	unit driver
Eddie Coleman	....	driver
John d'Arcy Haldane	....	driver
Tim Jeffries	....	driver
Enyo Mortty	....	unit driver
Dave Naden	....	driver
John Nichol	....	driver
Terry Quintin	....	driver
Terry Reece	....	unit driver
Peter Scorah	....	driver
Laurence Turner	....	driver (as Lawrence Turner)
Paul Venezia	....	driver

Other crew
Jamie Atkins	....	caterer
Erica Bensly	....	production coordinator
Sylvie Chevereau-Marchais	....	production accountant
Ken Clarkson	....	caterer
Charles Gassot	....	presenter
Nigel Gearing	....	dialogue editor: English
Natasha Gormley	....	production assistant
Laurence Granec	....	publicist
Ray Gray	....	security officer
Andrew Hill	....	safety officer
Richard Hyland	....	production accountant
Susanna Lenton	....	script supervisor
Eth Ibrahim Maynard	....	assistant coordinator (as Eth Ibrahim)
Jason Moyce	....	security officer
Ian Pollington	....	assistant location manager (as Ian Polington)
Mary Price	....	nurse
Ben Rimmer	....	location manager
Mark Soar	....	caterer
Rebecca Sutton	....	crowd coordinator
Jo Underwood	....	floor runner
Ryan Lee West	....	production runner
Emma Williams	....	nurse
Julia Wilson Dickson	....	dialogue coach (as Julia Wilson-Dickson)
Bill Darby	....	location scout (uncredited)
Teresa Darby	....	location manager: pre-production (uncredited)

Thanks
Ian Burley	....	special thanks
Vincent Franklin	....	special thanks
Christophe Honoré	....	special thanks
Lennie James	....	special thanks
Roland Manookian	....	special thanks
Pierre Trividic	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Téléma (as Telema Productions)
• Studio Canal (co-production)
• arte France Cinéma (co-production)
• France 2 Cinéma (co-production)
• Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR) (co-production)
• Mikado Film (co-production)
• Azor Films (co-production)
• Canal+ (co-production)
• Bac Films (co-production)
• Greenpoint Films (in association with)

Distributors

• A-Film Distribution (2001) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Cinema Mondo (2001) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Frenetic Films (2001) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (200?) (Netherlands) (video)
• Alfa Films (Argentina)
• Bac Films (France)
• Central Partnership
• Empire Pictures Inc. (2001) (USA)
• Mikado Film
• Prokino Filmverleih
• SPI International (2001) (Poland) (all media)
• Studio Canal (2001) (worldwide) (all media) (as StudioCanal)
• United King Films
• Vértigo Films (Spain)

Special Effects

• Éclair Numérique (digital special effects) (as Eclair Numérique)

Other Companies

• ACME Films  titles and opticals (as Acmé Films)
• AON  insurance (as A.O.N.)
• Angels & Bermans, Paris  wardrobe (as Angels & Bermans - Le Sock)
• Assurances Continentales, Les  insurance
• Clarkson Catering  catering (as Clarkson)
• DCA Audiovisual  sound transfer (as D.C.A.)
• Ealing Studios  studio facilities (as Ealing Studios London)
• Estate of James Joyce  "Exiles" written by James Joyce courtesy of
• Marie Guesnier  sound effects library
• Panavision Alga  camera equipment
• Playlight Manchester  lighting equipment (as Playlight)
• Studio Guillaume Tell  music mixing (as Les Studios Guillaume Tell)
• Transpalux  lighting equipment
• University of the South  permission given for use of "The Glass Menagerie" by Tennessee Williams, ©1945, renewed 1973

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for strong sexual content and language (heavily cut)

Runtime:

119 min

Country:

France | UK | Germany | Spain

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:Unrated | Iceland:16 | Hungary:18 | Portugal:M/16 | Argentina:18 | Australia:R | Canada:R | Finland:K-15 | France:-12 | Germany:16 | Ireland:18 | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R18 | Poland:18 | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | UK:18 | USA:R (heavily cut) | Chile:14 | Singapore:R(A) (heavily cut) | Australia:MA (cable rating)

Filming Locations:

Ealing Studios, Ealing, London, England, UK

Company:

Téléma

Trivia:

The first mainstream English language film with an unsimulated sex scene to be passed uncut in Great Britain.

Quotes:

Ian:You know when you're with someone there's only a very short time when you can really give each other things for free... with neither of you having to ask. Because later on all you do is make demands of each other. Perhaps the only difference between her and all the rest is that she's asking you for nothing.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Pirated Copy (2004)

Soundtrack:

2nd Foot Stomp

Quote-Unquote Intimacy

INTIMACY is a demanding film. It attempts a very close look at human relations, first at their most basic and physical, then at their most nakedly emotional. The film is demanding also because of its blend of present time and flashback, and a because of a few frankly muddled scenes. It is a clear candidate for re-viewing.

While Claire (Kerry Fox) is given her full due as a character, this is, in the final analysis, the man's story. Claire has denied herself physical pleasures in favor of what appears to be a contented family life. She has a devoted, if obese, husband and a son, whose own lives seem like satellites of hers. While she 'acts out' emotion on a small, amateur stage, they wait in the wings, encouraging her. She seeks out her liaisons with the glumly attractive Jay (Mark Rylance) for the very reason that they must remain anonymous. She, probably erroneously, wants to put intimacy into her life through sex, but she does not want to replace her life with it.

For the even less happy Jay, things are drastically different. He has suffered in a seemingly loveless marriage. There are two sons to whom he is clearly a loving father. But there is a sense that real intimacy has escaped him. Sometime before the narrative begins, Jay enters into an affair with Claire strictly, at first, for physical reasons--their encounters are essentially silent, physically intimate, but devoid of true intimacy. His need for connection is seen in the strange scenes of confiding in friends whom he otherwise holds in contempt. To his friends, Jay repeatedly bemoans his impatience to end the liaison. Yet, one Wednesday when Claire does not show up, he is forced to confront actual feelings. Gradually, Jay comes to realize that he wants much more from this affair. After their next encounter, he begins to follow Claire into her own world. The resulting drama is the main portion of the film.

French director Patrice Chéreau looks upon these characters with a complexity of vision and the candor available to an outsider. He understands both the value and danger of anonymous erotic encounters. Each succeeding sex scene in the film reveals less, physically, and more, emotionally, about the characters. For Jay at least, it is a process of self-revelation. After he enters Claire's world through an acquaintance with her husband, a strong sense of broken taboo, FAR stronger than that of the sexual affair, comes into play. Jay has crossed a boundary and both he and Claire will pay a price for it.

Kerry Fox is alert and brilliantly self-contained as Claire. And Timothy Spall (as her husband) gives a memorably detailed performance. Both must deal with betrayal and pained resignation. While Alistair Galbraith and handsome Philippe Calvario populate Jay's abusive, tortured universe.

But this movie really belongs to Mark Rylance. His characterization of Jay astonishingly combines venemous self-loathing with a profound psychic woundedness. The performance is incomparable in the most literal sense. This is a brand of tortured character we have not seen so nakedly before. Jay's final moments on screen should haunt most viewers long afterward.

INTIMACY is a surprisingly compelling film. Surprising, because a viewer may expect only to be titillated, or perhaps to be bored. This is not a film for everyone, its themes touch on difficult and painful truths about life. Those looking only for entertainment or eroticism will certainly be disappointed. Highly recommended