INTIMATE RELATIONS (1996) Movie on DVD

INTIMATE RELATIONS (1996) — DVD | Julie Walters | Rupert Graves | Laura Sadler | Rated R

Behind every set of net curtains, a story no one was supposed to know.

Dark, daring, and wickedly funny in all the most uncomfortable ways, Intimate Relations is one of the most compellingly unsettling British films of the 1990s — and one of the hardest to track down on DVD outside of import editions.

In 1954, all of England was rocked by a shocking crime that took place in a quiet coastal town, involving a socially upstanding landlady, her smart, newly blossomed teenage daughter, and a handsome but troubled young man in search of a family he had never known. First-time filmmaker Philip Goodhew offers a blackly comic and ironic look behind the proper lace curtains of a seemingly normal British household, revealing a seething pit of repressed lust, jealousy, and deadly obsession. Zeus

It is 1954. Mr. and Mrs. Beasley live in apparent bliss in a small provincial town — a war hero and a model housewife. But behind the net curtains of their immaculate semi, the seeds of discontent have been sown. Enter Harold Guppy, a young sailor who becomes their lodger. Prime Video Marjorie, put off by the notion of intimacy with her husband, hungrily pursues the idea with her handsome young lodger — which triggers bouts of jealousy from her budding teen daughter Joyce, leading to an unsavory triangle and a shocking finale. Amazon

Based on a true story, this dark and disturbing comedy goes in unexpected directions and makes you laugh at the most appalling things. Walters is a juggernaut, and Graves plays a seeming innocent who simply cannot get out of her — or his own — way. Amazon

If you are a fan of Julie Walters and Rupert Graves, you could not find a better piece to exhibit their talents. All the cast, costumes, sets, and locations are fabulous in this true and fascinating period black comedy crime story. Amazon The late Laura Sadler is equally remarkable as young Joyce, delivering a performance that lingers long after the credits roll.

A film that once finished, you’re sad is over — because you can never watch it for the first time again. Amazon UK Extremely hard to find in a US-compatible format — a true collector’s find.

Format: DVD | Color | English Genre: Black Comedy / Drama / Crime Runtime: 105 minutes | Rated R Director: Philip Goodhew | Based on a true story