BootDigest Such a frustrating disappointment

Gutsycurene Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.

Hadrina The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

Marva-nova Amazing worth wacthing. So good. Biased but well made with many good points.

ellis1555 Not quite sure what the film is trying to convey, but if it is implying that you have two choices - a life without passion in AA and life of passion and desire without AA and with active alcoholism, then that is incorrect and misleading. I don't understand why it is implying that joining AA to treat alcoholism is just a grim life of saying no to everything and denying yourself things out of fear of being triggered. That is not what AA is about. The goal is to be happy and functional. To flourish in all aspects of life. Some achieve it, some don't. The suggestion is to follow the tools of the program as fully as you can to achieve the maximum results. There's a reason they say "stick around for the miracle". People's lives improve in ways they never thought possible. Their lives get bigger.The grim life is either being an active alcoholic or gritting your teeth in abstinence but still being dysfunctional and miserable - a dry drunk. AA helps with much more than just stopping drinking. The real work begins after you stop the craving and stay sober. Then you use tools to maintain sobriety and deal with life "on life's terms".How can someone write about AA just by having friends in it, going to a few meetings or reading about it? If you don't get it, you don't get it. But it feels like someone saying probably all psychiatric medicine makes you a zombie and it's no life. That is not true either. Medicine can change and save lives. But you have to take it.Is this film positing that AA removes all possibilities in your life except a grim sobriety? It just isn't true. There is much joy, laughter, support and growth in AA. There is a whole syndrome behind alcoholism beyond drinking that is helped in AA: isolating, not asking for help, destructive behavior ("character defects"). Something feels very creepy in this film. As someone said elsewhere, if this film gives a suffering alcoholic a distrust of AA and causes them not to seek help, that would be an awful result.

jotix100 Paul Peplow, a recovering alcoholic, is sent to interview rich man, Victor Quinn, who presides over a media company named Flotilla. Quinn, who has obviously learned about Paul's problem, tries to interest the younger man into having a drink with his lunch, something that Paul refuses. Quinn is curious about what the poet has gotten out of his treatment with A.A. The conversation does not lead into something a newspaper might like to publish, but Paul, evidently, interests Victor Quinn otherwise, when he offers him a job in his firm.As Paul begins to work for Quinn, he meets Victor's much younger, and beautiful wife, Elsa, a woman that the older man met at a bar while she was drunk in a sorry state. Victor liked what he saw and ends up married to the ravishingly beautiful woman. As the two meet late one day in the office, revelations about themselves come out. Paul and Elsa end up in a passionate moment as it seems they are attracted to one another.When Victor invites Paul to join he and Elsa at his home, Paul is a bit reluctant because his obvious interest in the wife. As the visit progresses Quinn wants to tempt Paul into trying one of his perfect "Margaritas", which the younger man resists, but the allure of the drink plays heavily on his mind and he accepts after the insistence of Victor. Needless to say, Paul begins a descent into his addiction, together with the no-win situation of ever having Elsa for himself.David Hare, whose play is the basis of the film, adapted the material for the BBC presentation, co-sponsored by HBO. Not having seen the play, we cannot offer any comments on what is shown in this treatment for the small screen. Anthony Page directed. The best thing in the film is Jonathan Pryce, whose take on Victor Quinn is excellent. Mr. Pryce, one of the best English actors of his generation, lends an elegant hand to the story. Uma Thurman, who speaks with a Middle European accent, makes an impression, as does Paddy Considine with his Paul.

Gordon-11 This film is about a psychological tug of war between a rich guy and two recovering alcoholics.The first half of the film is just plain dialogs between people who do not even have any body gestures. To make matters worse, the scenes were shot with a statically positioned camera. The dialogs are probably meant to be sharp, crisp and challenging, but they turn out to be dull, repetitive and pretentious. Furthermore, the whole plot is so monotonous, pointless and narrow. It only repetitively talks about Paul's desire to stay abstinent despite Victor's challenges. And why did Victor challenge Paul in the first place? The filmmakers should have at least spend a little effort on character development."My Zinc Bed" is a huge waste of time.

Jay Fox I registered on IMDb simply so I could share my appreciation of this marvellous production.The three main characters were performed to perfection by the brilliant cast. Thank you for bringing this wonderful play to our screens. Good in all things except perhaps the extent to which it felt more like a stage production than a televisual one.Paddy Considine particularly was spellbinding as his performance ranged from a man teetering on the brink of self annihilation, convinced his slightest misstep would result in his end, to conflicted. Presented with the stark depiction of a safe life without passion or a passionate life doomed to disaster his inner turmoil was made clear to us, and we felt his turmoil, fear and excitement.