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Adapted from Josephine Hart's spare novel by British screenwriter David Hare and French director Louis Malle, this brooding erotic drama concerns the obsessive sexual relationship between an English politician and his son's lover. Stephen Flemming (Jeremy Irons), an up-and-coming member of Parliament, has a beautiful and loving wife, Ingrid (Miranda Richardson), and two children, including son Martyn (Rupert Graves), a successsful journalist. Sparks fly, however, when Stephen meets beautiful art-world denizen Anna Barton (Juliette Binoche), Martyn's new girlfriend. A measured, seemingly passionless man who believes that life can be controlled, Stephen suddenly finds himself unable to resist brief but intense liaisons with the mysterious, melancholy Anna. Eventually she explains the palpable air of sadness that hangs over her: When she was 15, her beloved older brother committed suicide because he could not possess her. "Remember," Anna warns Stephen, "Damaged people are dangerous. They know they can survive." Drawn to Anna and the passion she engenders in him, Stephen tries to justify his betrayal by telling himself Martyn isn't serious about Anna; he is stunned, then, when the two announce their engagement. On the advice of Anna's mother (Leslie Caron), who sees right through the charade, Stephen tries to break things off. But soon the affair resumes with full force, eventually destroying several lives. Although Damage's stark, frank sex scenes were trimmed to attain an R rating for theatrical release, the original, uncut version is available on video and DVD. Richardson received an Oscar nomination for her work. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide

Jeremy Irons - Dr.Stephen Fleming
Juliette Binoche - Anna Barton
Miranda Richardson - Ingrid
Rupert Graves - Martyn
Ian Bannen - Edward Lloyd

1992	Best Supporting Actress (nominee)	British Academy of Film and Television	Miranda Richardson
1992	Best Supporting Actress (nominee)	Golden Globe	Miranda Richardson
1991	Best Music Score (winner)	Los Angeles Film Critics Association	Zbigniew Preisner
1992	Best Supporting Actress (nominee)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Miranda Richardson
1992	Best Supporting Actress (Runner-up) (winner)	National Society of Film Critics	Miranda Richardson
1992	Best Supporting Actress (winner)	New York Film Critics Circle	Miranda Richardson

Louis Malle's controversial tale of erotic fixation comes to DVD with a widescreen anamorphic transfer that preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.66:1. The closed-captioned English soundtrack is rendered in Dolby Digital Stereo. English, Spanish, and French subtitles are accessible. The best feature on this disc is the ability to watch either the R-rated cut that appeared in theaters or the unrated director's cut that restores footage Malle was forced to edit in order to achieve the R rating. Other supplemental materials include an interview with the famed director, cast and crew biographies and filmographies, behind-the-scenes footage, and the original theatrical trailer. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

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