The Other Half

Do you know what? I think this had the makings of a really good film according to the synopsis on this site...

Actors seem good. Good camera work, nicely lit, suitably moody soundtrack...

But...

Try and hear a damn word that anybody in this film has to say... Go ahead... try it...

I even tried lip reading...

Of late, this is not an uncommon thing in films out of both North America and Canada... Mumble, mumble, mumble...

What is it? Are your scripts such rubbish that you're ashamed to let the audience hear the dialogue?

How about you do everybody a favour... If the reality is that you actually have nothing to say that you want anybody to hear then for god sake don't waste peoples time with any film.

I for one have better things to do with my life.

VERY ANNOYED.

Couldn't shake the feeling of having felt like I'd wasted an hour and 45 minutes of my life. The only thing I could give it was that I did want to see what happens at the end but I don't think that was necessarily the film more that I don't like not seeing things through. I found the film weak with poor execution of building suspense. Could have been great with the topic and storyline but just found it flat and boring.

This is a story told more as an expression of feelings and mood than as an exposition of a finely crafted story. In other words, this is a showcase for the actors more than the writers. Should you approach this film with a need for any more than a bare-bones plot, you will likely leave disappointed. But not every work depends on intricate story details to work effectively. The Other Half tells the story of a relationship between two rather damaged but nevertheless lovely individuals, Emily (Tatiana Maslany) and Nickie (Tom Cullen).

Nickie's damage seems to arise from the loss of a close family member which has traumatized him and his entire family. As in many such cases, he is drawn to someone with problems of her own, in this case Emily, an ebullient artist who suffers from bipolar disorder. For me, The Other Half's strengths lie in making us care about these characters and showing their incredible connection. That Maslany and Cullen are partners in real life inevitably adds to the chemistry between them on screen. The depiction of two young people trying to make a life for themselves starting with almost nothing, attempting the painful process of separating themselves from their parents made me feel nostalgic for a similar time in my own life.

Finally, Tatiana Maslany once again proves herself to be one of the best and most versatile actors working today. She disappears into this role making me fully believe in this character. Having seen her in Orphan Black playing upwards of 20 parts, I was amazed to see her in this film as completely distinct from any of those characters and heart-breakingly emotionally vulnerable. Tom Cullen is likewise engaging, though I feel that the screenplay leaves his Nickie a little too opaque. I get that his numbed expression near the beginning is his expression of grief, but I would have preferred a touch more light shining through to validate Emily's falling so hard for him.

This is a film that operates at its own pace. It will reward the viewer who is willing to slow down, and and take it in moment by moment.

Nickie Bellow (Tom Cullen) is a volatile drunk. He works as a cab driver and waiter in Toronto. Five years earlier, he suffered a devastating loss back home in the UK. He gets into a confrontation with a customer and saved by Emily (Tatiana Maslany). She seems to be a happy soul and they start a loving relationship. Her mental illness surfaces and they struggle to deal with their troubles.

I only watched this for Tatiana. There isn't much here other than good work from the two leads. It's nowhere near enough. The drama isn't there. The filming is indie with some experimental lite. It's not compelling enough other than the skilled cast. They try their best but the material is thin.

Would have gotten much more out of this dialogue driven film if the dialogue was more clearly enunciated; with higher clearer volume levels (I had to double my usual volume level just to capture some of the words.) Of course the producers failed to pay the small additional amount for subtitles, nor any Special Features to allow the viewer to explore the film's origins or importance to it's participants. Cheap!

Tatiana Maslany's character's mental condition could have been explored more intelligently as well as shown cinematically more clearly. It should have been the focus of the story rather than the other, other half - Tom Cullen's character which turned out to be just as obscure. The film jumps about giving us brief shadowy bits of each person's life to assemble on our own which if lucky sort of works, otherwise good luck. True to her self, Tatiana's acting is the most redeeming part.