I knew nothing of this but the fact that it was adapted from a novel by the brilliant Ian McEwan (which I had not read), was directed by John Schlesinger (whose A Kind of Loving, Midnight Cowboy, Sunday Bloody Snday, Far From the Madding Crowd and particularly Darling I have always loved), and starred three actors I liked - Anthony Hopkins, Isabella Rosselini and Campbell Scott.<br /><br />With these people, how could this have been SO awful? Oh my! From the very beginning, when we see that all three lead actors are chosen for roles different than their own nationalities - an absolutely bizarre Anthony Hopkins with an atrocious American accent playing a character created out of some apparent hatred of Americans, a wee timid Campbell Scott playing an Englishman who had apparently never really left the nursery and an Isabella Rosselini playing a German hausfrau -- we realize something is seriously SERIOUSLY wrong here.<br /><br />We see scene after tedious scene that we've witnessed filmed FAR more interestingly in hundreds of other films.<br /><br />We care nothing for the characters.<br /><br />There are whole plot angles that are simply left dangling.<br /><br />This is a disaster. Avoid it.