Lumsdal
Good , But It Is Overrated By Some
BelSports
This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.
Brainsbell
The story-telling is good with flashbacks.The film is both funny and heartbreaking. You smile in a scene and get a soulcrushing revelation in the next.
RicardoMirandaDaRosa
I've never supposed that I'll disgust a Binoche characters' movie; I've never believe that Irons could be so lost and clumsy in a role play; I've neither could imagine me so ashamed of others thankful a Male's direction; But the hard true that really hurts everyone who resign yourself to write about their sad trauma is: To the hell with all alleged moral (or immoral, whatever) values about the story, who think that's the point! The tragic drama, here, is only the horrible work played (acting) specially by the (bizarre) love triangle and the movie's direction. Unfortunately, speaking about the love scenes, even in a Brazilian industrialized line production of serial novels is often more credible and maybe include the Mexican ones less laughable. Sorry for saying...
geminiredblue
Extramarital affairs and politics often seem to go hand in hand. At least as far as movies and novels go. Sometimes, like in the Clinton scandal, you wonder: Why would a politician risk his lofty and respected (forgive the term) position in favor of a passionate, wild fling? It's probably the lure of immense power, wealth, and prestige. And after all, politicians ARE only human. Why do I bring this up, you might ask? Because DAMAGE is about an affair between a highly-revered parliament member and the always-alluring Juliette Binoche. Honestly, I fell in love with her back in the atrocious (and overrated) "The English Patient". Another bad film about an affair, by the way. Since then, I've been following her career. For her best roles, hunt down CHOCOLAT and the TROIS COLOURS (THREE COLORS) film series. This movie, in contrast, is probably not one she'd want to have listed. The main problem is the awkward chemistry between her and Jeremy Irons. For one thing, Mr. Irons plays his part very woodenly. And it doesn't help that he dresses... blah! And he's about as attractive as a toad. Are we seriously supposed to believe that Ms. Binoche would favor a fling with him over his dashing (and rich) son? Whom she's already agreed to marry, no less? Admittedly, the love scenes are ravishing. But it feels so odd, because it's obvious the actors don't have any real chemistry. And the ending is just as much a letdown as anything else. As a side note, I know I slammed Mr. Irons pretty hard in this review. I do like him as an actor, though. But he's way better as a villain (Scar in THE LION KING and Simon in "Die-hard With A Vengeance") than as a romantic lead.
Geetha Stachowiak
Some movies are like a train wreck. Others are like waves on a beach: pretty, predictable, and about just as boring. And then there are some those that leave you wondering what you would've done in that situation. Damage is one such. A powerful British politician has an affair with his son's fiancée, culminating in the son's accidental death (after catching the two in the act, no less). The cold, selfish manner in which the minister and the son's fiancée indulge each others' sexual desires with no thought whatsoever to the lives of the family they destroy is at once compelling and disgusting. It doesn't hurt that casting director Patsy Pollock picked just about the best possible actors for this project. Louis Malle directs, and everything else—the music, the cinematography, the sets—helped create a brilliant piece of art. Now this is what a romance should be like—powerful enough to destroy empty if socially successful lives… not the kind of insipid mush Hollywood loves to churn out season after season.
kenjha
What a dreary and depressing movie! The script is ridiculously inadequate to begin with and takes a laughable turn towards ludicrous. The romance between Irons and Binoche comes out of nowhere and is not believable for a moment. Their love scenes are obviously meant to be passionate but they are so poorly executed that they come across as rather comical. It is hard to believe that someone like Irons would risk everything for someone as incredibly bland as Binoche is portrayed to be here. Irons does his usual pompous blow-hard routine. The only notable performance is given by Richardson as Irons's suffering wife. This is undoubtedly the worst film of Malle's career.
