Zipper

The best part of this ¨true tv¨ style (or is it Lifetime TV?) production is its dark, film noiresque twist. Everyone is corrupt and succumbs... An interesting take on the more general phenomenon of addiction.

This film tells the story of a married lawyer with a promising political career, who gets side tracked by experiences with ladies from an escort agency.

"Zipper" keeps me engaged because the I like the story. The first half is more erotic while the second half is more of a thriller. How Patrick Wilson does a good job portraying his character, who lets his urges overtake his sensibility. His guilt in the diner with the reporter is piercingly good. I think the story is well presented, easy to follow and engaging. The scenes are nicely shot as well. I enjoyed watching "Zipper"!

Not much of a thriller if you ask me. Maybe for the Americans it is but for a Belgian like me it isn't. And by that I mean that here in Belgium we could not care less what a politician does in his private life. If he cheats on his wife then that's his problem and certainly not ours. As long as he does his job like he should it's not of our concern. And that's the big difference between puritan America that loves their so called scandals and Europe where privacy still means something. So to me the movie was just kind of boring. Not bad though, just average, nothing to be thrilled about. And that's just about the story because the actors were good, nothing bad to say about them. It's just the story that lacks of action and entertainment. Well that's my opinion about it. American reviewers will probably not think the same because they are used of the whole brainwashing circus that is going on with their elections and political campaigns. And that's a pity.

I only watched this because I think Patrick Wilson is an appealing lead. There is something so All-American about him, yet he plays characters faced with potentially compromising situations.

First off, some reviewer from Belgium who hates America (big surprise there)said, "Who cares what politicians do in their personal lives?" Sorry pal, but this guy did not have an affair. He was using prostitutes. That's against the law and he works in the U.S. Attorney's office. Do you understand? The dialog here is excellent. I never expected that in what I thought would be a routine infidelity drama. There is a great speech when the main guy is talking to some college students and he explains that you cannot be anything you want, despite that clichéd speech staple. You can only be what you have the aptitude for.

There is another moment of dialog where an FBI agent speaks about guys who cheat on their wives. Nice job. Writing rarely gets enough credit. In this case, the Writer was also the Director and a woman.

This picture is set in the South, yet we never hear which state and the main guy is the only one with a strong accent. That was awkward. I'll assume it was Baton Rouge.

The acting was outstanding. I have never seen Wilson show that kind of range. The wife character was perfectly cast. She looked like someone who may have been attractive years ago, but was well past her prime.

What I got from this story was that men never stop craving young women. Once their wives go past 36, the men start craving younger options. It's just the way things are in a world where we live to such old ages.

The sex scenes were more tastefully done than I have ever seen in any such film.

Like some other reviewer mentioned, there was a key scene where our protagonist shows his humanity, but still can't stop his need to indulge his addiction. Nicely done. The girl involved flashed a brief and subtle look of disappointment that spoke a thousand words.

The picture is a tad slow. That was my only complaint. I gave it a 6 because the plot is not original and the pacing dragged. But it's worth watching for sure.

"Zipper" made me think a little about "House of Cards", despite having seen just a few episodes from the first season. Its political theme, unmeasurable ambition and unscrupulous individuals. On those parameters, "Zipper" succeeds on presenting complex and divided characters, whose ultimate goal is a seat in power.

Patrick Wilson and Lena Headey both stood out. I'd never seen one of his films fully and I was kind of surprised with his acting and commitment to the role. After seeing Headey on "GoT" I wasn't surprised with her acting, because, at some extent, in this one she plays a modern version of Cersei Lannister - the cheating husband, the obsessive care and protection for her children (its all there). They both are great on their respective roles, portraying a troubled couple, which has been married for a long time and in which routine is deeply established. They have the chemistry and the acting chops.

Aside from the main actors, we have Ray Winstone and Richard Dreyfuss with particular small roles but roles which give the movie more credibility. The feminine cast is a committed one, not afraid of touching the level of soft-core porn on some scenes.

In what concerns directing, I must say I liked the overall look of the movie, very sober and clean, but above all, real. The script is well- written, with well-developed characters. The ending,in general, is somewhat predictable but the last scene, well, the last scene, simply wasn't and reveals the intelligence of the filmmaker.

Why take the risk?

"Zipper" is a good movie to watch, pretty good performances and well- directed.