苏珊娜（Kristin Scott Thomas 克里斯汀·斯科特·托马斯 饰）是个拥有优渥生活的中年妇女，她的丈夫是小有名气的牙医，并且正在慢慢涉足政治仕途，她有一双乖巧儿女，刚刚十几岁需要照顾，她自己也在努力重返事业——成为理疗师。这样的生活似乎可以永久持续下去，但一切随着伊万（Sergi López 饰）的到来土崩瓦解。伊万是个随处打工的西班牙建筑工人，帮苏珊娜家扩建工作室时与她相识，很快，苏珊娜对伊万产生一股莫名的欲望，以探伤为借口追随他到西班牙，很快燃起干柴烈火的激情。不可遏制的二人秘密相会，直到苏珊娜决意抛弃妻子与伊万私奔，完全不顾她盛怒的丈夫动用一切政治关系切断她的经济来源……...
现就职于纽约的邮局职工雅各布·辛格（蒂姆·罗宾斯 Tim Robbins 饰），曾是在越战中险象环生的退伍老兵。不堪回首的破碎记忆时刻刺痛着他的每一根神经，失败的第一次婚姻，夭折死去的儿子，以及折磨他最深的越战后遗症。他常常出现在越战服役期间被追杀的幻觉，熟悉又陌生 的种种细节，亦幻亦真。他的现任妻子试图帮助雅各布忘却这段痛苦的记忆，然而这些穿梭在梦境和现实里的情节遭遇，让雅各布彻底失去了理智。每当生死攸关的时刻，雅各布总会在另外一个时空醒来。孰真孰假的错觉，让他游离在现实和幻想的世界中不能自拔。</p>...
Eight friends, all in a stable relationship, decide to venture into a game of sexual discovery by exchanging couples while trying to free themselves from their daily routine and add a spicy touch to their love life....
As his mother’s illness progresses, a wealthy young man hires a perfect caregiver. But their lives start to spiral into a deadly affair as the caregiver seemingly tries to make herself a permanent facet of the wealthy family....
At the beginning of the movie a pharmacist receives an anonymous letter that threatens him of death. And the murder actually happens. Seems very simple but nothing is what it seems and the journey to the truth will be long and difficult. The book is excellent and the movie is at par with it and very faithful to the romance. Great direction. Incredible cast with Gabriele Ferzetti in his best interpretation together with the one in "C'era una volta il West" and Gianmaria Volonté simply beyond reach as always. Many other great actors. Yes I am an enthusiast 'cause there's not a word or a shot out of place in this movie and the plot is ingenious. Who is going to see this film for the first time will be taken away by the developments (the pace seems to be calm but looking in between the kinks you may realize that many things are going rapidly on). Trying to figure out what is the kernel of the happenings and the "reasons" for the murder is a very interesting exercise but it's highly unlikely for the spectator not to experience a big surprise at the end. In my opinion Elio Petri at his best (I mean at the same level of his other masterwork: La classe operaia va in Paradiso).</p>...
