Bound and Gagged: A Love Story

A first feature less about sex than emotional baggage - the real ties that bind. Leslie (Allen) seeks refuge from brutal Steve (Mulkey) in the arms of another woman, Elizabeth (Saltarrelli). But Elizabeth also resorts to force. Helped by suicidal Cliff (Denton), she kidnaps Leslie after the latter refuses to divorce her husband. A black comic road movie and a rather paternalistic post-feminist parable, this might have worked better with a more consistent tone. Director Appleby is uncomfortable with stereotypes, and Denton's running suicide-gag is misjudged. On the other hand, the tug-of-love between the besotted, powerful Elizabeth and the weak, resistant Leslie is more confidently handled - with both actresses making the most of meaty roles.