Released 1997
Stars Craig Sheffer, Sheryl Lee, Terence Stamp, Spalding Gray, Casey Siemaszko
Directed by Lance Young

"Bliss" is a daring movie not because of the sexuality it contains, but because it is so intent about it. You can snicker about anything sexual in our society, but sex when it's taken seriously makes people squirmy, and here's a movie that's grown-up, thoughtful and surprisingly erotic.

The movie tells the story of two people who are in love with each other, but bring to their marriage many problems that prevent them from having a fulfilling sex life. Joseph and Maria are both apprehensive on their wedding day; he knows she's compulsive and neurotic, and while he's ostensibly better-adjusted, that may be because he's better at hiding things. Within six months they're telling their problems to a therapist, who uses a traditional psychoanalytic approach, and before much longer Maria is sneaking to secret sessions with a sex therapist named Baltazar, who "operates on the edge of the law."

"Bliss" is not an "adult film" but a film for and about adults: It's provocative, and it has a heart.

Summary by Roger Ebert