
Oscar nominee Joan Allen gives a remarkable performance in Sally Potter's ' Yes' an extraordinary look at love & politics set in London Belfast Beirut & Havana Allen stars as an unnamed Irish-American scientist disillusioned with her marriage to Anthony who is more interested in his political job
- & other women Fed up with his affairs she falls for an unnamed Arab cook & begins a torrid sexual relationship with him A successful molecular biologist she also puts her life under a microscope but she is afraid to go after what she really wants Meanwhile her lover is much more open about the things he used to have when he was in Lebanon reduced now to working in a British kitchen in order to barely survive; he comes to resent that she pays for everything in their romance leading to tension & extreme situations Writer-director Potter (' Orlando') shows a sharp eye for the human condition & the fragility of love in this unusual & extraordinary film in which all of the characters speak in iambic pentameter In addition to mixing in different styles including slow motion grainy shots & freeze frames Potter has a series of maids especially the one played by Shirley Henderson face the camera reacting to what is going on around them Henderson often addresses the audience humorously pointing out that no matter how thorough people are there is still always a little dirt to be cleaned up