Bitter Moon: Whoa, That Escalated Quickly!

Okay, so I finally got around to watching "Bitter Moon"... Wow. Just... wow. I went in expecting some kinky romance, you know, the kind where you're like "Ooh, scandalous!" But Polanski, man, he doesn't do things halfway, does he? Remember when Nigel says 'It's a cruel world' after that whole humiliating game, I swear that's the tagline for the entire movie. I almost choked on my popcorn during the whole Oscar/Mimi dynamic. The power shifts, the degradation... it was like watching a train wreck in slow motion, but you still can't turn away. That tango scene? HOT. But then, BOOM, right back to twisted. Hugh Grant is such a perfect foil as Nigel. He's the embodiment of naive British politeness, just slowly getting dragged into this vortex of depravity. Every time Oscar tells him a new story I was gasping in horror. It's like he's thinking 'Surely not!' and we, the audience, are thinking, 'Oh, YES. Absolutely they did.' I mean, Emmanuelle Seigner is stunning, obviously, but the crazy is what takes it to another level. You know, when Nigel says to Oscar, 'You ruined my marriage!' I was like, dude, that's putting it mildly. I kinda lost it when the cruise ship gets hijacked... like, really? And the ending? Honestly, I'm still processing. 'Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans,' right? I see what Polanski was going for, but it felt a little too over-the-top, even for this movie. But still, I'm glad I watched it. It's the kind of movie that sticks with you, makes you question your sanity a little bit. Anyone else seen it? What did you think? Am I the only one who needed a strong drink afterwards? Honestly, send help.