Sleep with Me

A strikingly intelligent woman intrudes smoothly into lives of a contented couple. She seems to connect emotionally with Richard (Adrian Lester) as well as with Lelia (Jodhi May). The duo oblivious to each other relationship with the mysterious Frenchwoman.

Richard's struggles to contain unbridled passion for Sylvie (an androgynous though very attractive Anamaria Marinca) fearing the consequences on mentally fragile Lelia. The latter has her own secretive past. The thought process of Richard and Lelia lay bare to the viewers as we learn more about the characters motivations and anxieties.

Quite erotic despite lack of nudity. Based on Joanna Briscoe novel of the same name.

There's a reason this is a "made for TV" movie, but it's okay! The peculiarity of this story is the use of what could almost be titled "neuro linguistic programming as the seduction weapon of choice for a passive sexual predator" -- it's a fascinating idea! That's why I say we'll see this script picked up by some Hollywood back room type and someone will rewrite it for A-listers to spice it up and program it for the mass market. The central character is a great invention, but still needs a page one rewrite to get rid of the glaring distractions that jolt the viewer out of the story and back in front the screen to be a pseudo movie critic instead of a movie goer. Oh well, it's still more fun and entertaining than 99% of the multi-million dollar blockbuster piffle. The contrived twists and "set ups" do not propel the story forward but cost dearly in terms of distractions that are just too succinct and convenient: at one moment, we're meant to be investing in character development and a circle of self-aware long time chums who've become couples, but then we're asked to believe they're dizzy-headed twerps just at the moment it serves the purposes of the plot. Oh well, I don't think the audience should be asked to forgive a "if only someone said the one thing that obviously had to be said" suspension of disbelief. At no risk of spoiling the plot in the least, I'll entice you to watch at least until the line "You should go away for a bit with Catrin." After that, it gets a bit "Mills and Boon" but it's still entertaining and you'll want to see it unfold, just for its gratuitous pleasuring of the audience.

I watched Sleep With Me as I thought it sounded quite different from the usual dramas we get to see on British TV. It was gripping from the start and I was intrigued to see how the story played out. Personally, I found all the characters, especially that of the seducer, to be quite unbelievable and slightly annoying but this didn't stop me enjoying what was a sexually charged and refreshingly different drama. The acting was generally good, especially that of the actress who played Sylvie. Well done ITV for going out on a limb and bring us something different. Hopefully ITV will go on to make more of this type of adult drama as it makes a change to the period dramas and detective stories that we see so often.