A respected member of English parliament is drawn into an ill-fated affair with his son's fianc e, a young French woman whose relationships invariably end in tragedy.

A respected member of English parliament is drawn into an ill-fated affair with his son's fianc e, a young French woman whose relationships invariably end in tragedy.

A respected member of English Perliament is drawn into an ill-fated affair with his son's enigmatic fiancee, a young French woman whose relationships invariably end in tragedy.

A respected member of English Perliament is drawn into an ill-fated affair with his son's enigmatic fiancee, a young French woman whose relationships invariably end in tragedy.

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. Dra