EVERYTHING YOU KNOW ABOUT DESIRE IS DEAD WRONG.
New York City teacher Francis Avery (Meg Ryan) is contacted by a homicide detective (Mark Ruffalo) on the hunt for a man who slaughters women; they begin an affair that turns risky. A different project for Ryan; we’ve never seen her like this, as a depressed woman with a rich, sexual fantasy life who throws herself into a dangerous relationship. Dark and provocative with stressful, unpleasant visuals of NYC, this erotic thriller is a real downer. Ryan and Ruffalo are good, but the serial killer story is not a great thrill; the ending is clichéd.
2003-U.S.-Australia. 118 min. Color. Directed by Jane Campion. Screenplay: Jane Campion, Susanna Moore. Novel: Susanna Moore. Cast: Meg Ryan (Francis Avery), Mark Ruffalo (Malloy), Jennifer Jason Leigh (Pauline Avery), Nick Damici, Sharrieff Pugh. Cameo: Kevin Bacon.
Trivia: Nicole Kidman was originally cast as Francis; she stayed on as co-producer.
