Claire (Kerry Fox) and Jay (Mark Rylance) meet on Wednesdays and make love. Without speaking, they share each other's bodies and desires. One day, Claire doesn't show, so Jay decides to find out more about his mysterious captivating lover. The only English-language film from acclaimed filmmaker Patrice Chereau (La Reine Margot), Intimacy was notorious upon its release for its inclusion of explicit sex scenes, but is perhaps now more intriguing to contemporary viewers for featuring Mark Rylance in an early lead role, when he was more renowned for his theatre work and some fifteen years before his Hollywood breakout in Spielberg's Bridge of Spies. Based on a story by Hanif Kureishi (My Beautiful Laundrette), the film is a fascinating example of an outsider's take on what would usually be classed as British social realism; with its focus on emotionally aloof characters striving to find connection amid the harsh locales of South London. Presented here in its unrated 120-minute version as opposed to the 107m cut seen in US cinemas.
Up Next in Modern British Classics
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My Feral Heart
Luke (Steven Brandon), a young man with Down's syndrome who prizes his independence, is forced into a care home after the death of his mother. There he rails against the restrictions imposed on him, but his frustrations are allayed by his budding friendships with his care-worker Eve (Shana Swash)...
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County Lines
Obeying the first rule – 'write what you know' - former youth worker turned filmmaker Henry Blake turns in an original, stylish debut feature which premiered at the 2019 BFI London Film Festival.
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Human Traffic
Looking for an escape from boring nine-to-five jobs, bad relationships and dysfunctional families, five Cardiff friends plan a night out to remember, dominated by clubs, drugs, pubs and parties. Journey with them through the highs and lows of the weekend, wild escapades and unexpected epiphanies....
