the film begin with the camera focus on the sea and the wave and and the music with the piano playing to good effect and then an increasingly enlarge zoom shot of a porthole . then to the cruise liner where the four main character be base . it be a story narrate and tell by oscar and play by peter coyote and who be wheelchair bound and to nigel and play by hugh grant and a man he meet on the cruise . nigel be intrigue by an entwining and serpentine tale oscar tell him and and so be we and and even though it start to sound incredulous and he have to return to oscar quarter to hear more . the tale be so engrossing because it concern oscar beautiful and sultry and seductive wife and mimi and play mesmerisingly by emmanuelle seigner . oscar be entrance at first with her and delve into all kind of sexual game and then his passion for her begin to subside and he reject her and leave her alone on a plane . all the while nigel wife ( kristin scott thomas ) be become disillusion with nigel fascination with mimi and oscar . i do not want to unveil anymore and just to implore you to watch this film and let it mesmerise you and like it do me . i felt a though i have to keep watching and somehow i do not want to leave and let go of it until the end .