Salt on Our Skin

"Salt on Our Skin" is the romantic story about the passionate love affair between a Scottish Fisherman and a half French/half Scottish woman {Greta Scacchi} who spent long summers in Scotland where she begun a relationship with Gavin {Vincent D'Onofrio} that lasted until his death over 30 years later, despite marriages to other people.

The scenery is divine, as locations change between Scotland, Paris, London, the United States and the Virgin, unfortunately the script fails to match such beauty. The talented leads do well but due to a lack of action and lacklustre dialogue the passion they feel for each other is never quite experienced by the viewer.

The film is a girls movie, it's romantic, beautiful to look and is one for a winter's afternoon when curling up with a blanket and chocolate is just the answer. Vincent D'Onofrio, despite a suspect Scottish accent is another rather attractive reason to watch.

I loved this movie, being a widow myself I related to the two characters. Most of the greatest love affairs are wrought with complications and never end in the happily ever after scenario. This was my first introduction to Vincent D'Onfrio and I loved him in this movie and The Whole Wide World but his other characters have been too harsh and I like to remember him by Salt On Our Skin. I think it is neat how this movie started a real life love affair between Vincent D'Onofrio and Greta Scacchi and they produced a daughter which they named after Greta's character in this movie (George).

Greta Scacchi plays a famous feminist activist, while Vincent D'Onofrio portrays a humble Scots fisherman in this film from director Andrew Birkin. Despite the obvious ideological chasm between them, the two fall in love. The couple spend the rest of the film running away from commitment, only to be reunited at every turn. Salt on Our Skin is also known under the title Desire....This films was released in French in Montreal (along with the other Vincent D'Onofrio film Naked Tango)......these two films were released together by C/FP Videoand are very hard to find in the French Version these days......Naked Tango was released in Quebec under the title "Tango Passion" and Desire was released in Quebec under the name "Abandoned Passion"......they did not sell very well as French Language versions and most have disappeared.

I loved this movie, it is a very emotional piece and the two leads do brilliantly. Vincent D'Onofrio does a very good Scottish accent ( very sexy one too ) despite being around 30 at the time he and Greta ( his off screen girlfriend )made this film the makeup is very convincing for his ages ( 19-50 ).

George falls in love with Gavin, but her new life of the arts appeals more to her and she rejects Gavin because his lifestyle doesn't interest her, but they continue their love affair regardless of the obstacles in the way, spanning the globe from Paris to Montreal.

The love scenes between the two actors is very realistic conveying the passion that they feel for one another all the more emotional for the viewers. Despite Georges treatment of him, Gavin continues to love her. She tells him she loves him in the end, but it is too late and is left to her memories and regrets at the close of the film.

If you are looking for a movie with a prudent life lesson or just a "happy end/justice to all" thing or an ordinary chick flick, than you might want to go back to Maid In Manhattan's...

It takes some life experience to let the beauty of this movie sink in... and by that I mean - no judgment, simply going for the essence, which ultimately has to be love.

Why am I submitting this comment 13 years after the movie's release and 5 years since I've seen it first? Because they are timeless occasions in life, so common in this new internet/long distance dating era, in which this story reveals that you really don't need to always have it all, the socially acceptable and expected full packaged "life together" deal in order to feel the true love and happiness.

This love story gives hope to those, that haven't had the luck to spend their happily ever after with a person they love and respect the most. Why it didn't happen between the main protagonists, might be the discussion point to the crew that gets their answers by judging other people's choices.

For the rest of us that crave simply feeling alive, loving and loved, the storyline (not perfectly done and not perfectly acted) offers the wealth of thinking beyond the compromise and the white picket fence. Upliftng, hopeful, giving and enriching for what it is - a treasure that can happen in one's lifetime.