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And who wants to be cured of desire?

P.K. Ryan | Albany, NY USA | 01/18/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This short HBO film is based on a play by David Hare. It's a somewhat bizzare story of an alcoholic poet (Considine) who comes into contact with a powerful businessman (Pryce) and his wife (Thurman). The story revolves around alcoholism and whether or not it is a disease. As anyone with any acquaintance with this topic knows, this is often a matter of intense debate, and one that every alcoholic struggles with. As the story builds, there is some considerable suspense as the viewer is left guessing the motives of the characters, most notably Pryce. I thought the dialogue between Pryce and Considine was mostly quite excellent, and both turn in masterful performances. On the other hand, this is not Uma Thurman's best work but she is nice to look at so all is forgiven. There are a few excessively melodramatic moments and the ending struck me as a bit anticlimactic, but I personally found the film to be intriguing, and to use a tired cliche; thought-provoking. You see, the topic is something that is very personal to me and it literally made me rethink my position and look at it from a different angle. That being said, the conclusion is open-ended leaving the viewer to make up their own mind, and with something to contemplate. 3.5 stars."