Contempt is a detailed and dark story of a screenwriter's relationship breaking down as he and his wife travel to Capri for work. The plot and setting, however, are secondary to the intense and detailed description of their marital disagreements and their ongoing emotional turmoil, caused by their inability to connect or communicate in a straightforward way. The attitudes on display are inevitably dated but the drama is timeless – not a fun or light read, but certainly relatable.