I think it is; Maybe not his best film (behind The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1989), The Draughtsman's Contract (1982) and perhaps A Zed and Two Noughts (1985) although it's a close finish) but it is excellent. Dennehy ('That Guy From Rambo') puts in a performance that's arguably greater than that of any other lead in a Greenaway film. The visuals are excellent as usual, provided you don't mind a bit of symmetry, of course. I liked the location, Rome seems like a natural place for a Greenaway film to be set given all the painterly shots he creates in his films. Combining the shots with the score (which is perfect) has a rather mesmerizing effect, too.
On the topic of whether it is accessible or mainstream, I think it is both of those things more than a film like Drowning by Numbers (1988) or a Zed and Two Noughts (1985), although it is still esoteric despite a relative lack of absurdity. Also, I think there's still much more of a distancing effect here than in The Cook... which as I recall had more close-up shots of the drama, inviting the audience to really feel something about the characters. Going against the 'mainstream' argument for that film though is some of the content (cannibalism, sex/nudity), though if you accept an England-Thatcher type interpretation of its plot it may not be so difficult to find meaning.
Is this your homework, Larry?
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