Between Us

In what might be the best first line of a movie, Julia Stiles opens her door and lets a multitude of expressions pass over her face. "I gotta say, it's a little strange having you two show up at our doorstep like this."

We then see the unfolding of two disastrous dinner parties between two couples, Taye Diggs and Julia Stiles, and David Harbour and Melissa George. The film intercuts between the first party hosted at one house two years earlier and an impromptu get-together at the other couple's apartment during the present time. Intense, wordy, real, and extremely well-acted, it's easy to imagine Joe Hortua's words written for and performed on the stage. I wasn't expecting to enjoy this movie nearly as much as I did. Sometimes I find movies that are very "play-ish" to be unrealistic and superior. Between Us was so real, I felt as if I should apologize for eavesdropping. The four actors bare their souls to the camera, admit secrets, and cry at their lost youths and crumbling marriages. It's a very common theme now (even though this movie is nearly ten years old) to focus on 30-somethings who regret having children and settling down. There are people who don't like that theme, for whatever reason, and those viewers should absolutely stay away. Anyone who does like that subgenre, I highly recommend this heavy drama. It's exposing and uncomfortable, personal yet vague, and intimate even though it's a feature film that (ideally) would be shown to millions.

Incredibly hard to make a play feel like a movie but Dan Mirvish has succeeded and then some. Stellar cast who bring it, stylish, and an outstanding Behind The Scenes extra that tells it like it is.

The film is shot beautifully by Nancy Schreiber (one of my favorite DPs), edited in a really interesting, non-linear fashion and is a showcase for Taye Diggs, Julia Styles and David Harbour. And while Melissa George has the sort of thankless role, she comes through when it's her moment to shine at the climax.

In the end, all of it comes together under the skillful direction of Mirvish.

Let's be clear: This is not an easy movie to watch. Like Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? or (more recently) Carnage, Between Us almost seems to revel in exposing the nastier side of human nature. We're given a ringside seat at an emotional slugfest as a pair of (nominally friendly) couples eviscerate themselves and each other at a series of ill-advised dinner parties. Once the wine starts to loosen tongues and inhibitions, verbal sparring quickly escalates into full-on psychological warfare -- the 'take no prisoners' kind. And trust me: There's more genuine violence in this movie than the entire third act of Man of Steel -- it's just that here the characters are clobbered with words, not skyscrapers.

In short: If you like Who's Afraid...? and Carnage, then Between Us is a must-see.

Ugh... How could any of these people have any connection to each other (or anyone else for that matter) in any way. It's an hour and a half of 4 people that hate each other yelling and being altogether horrible. No one maintains relationships this caustic. These are characters that you'd politely excuse yourself from the first time you meet but never forget. The only people that could possibly like this movie are self-loathing masochists or schadenfreude narcissists. The only redeeming quality of this film is that it does make you think about your own relationships and you feel great that even the rickety ones are at least somewhat tolerable.

Art is best when it captures a human emotion and puts it on display for a viewer to see what they have felt inside represented by a performer. For it is through the performer that the viewer may see themselves in a way they have never seen before, as the actor exhibits raw human feeling; that palpable yet indescribable feeling that sets humans apart from other life forms.

Between Us exposes the unvarnished dualism of love and contempt; the comfort, warmth and acceptance of a committed love relationship and the inimical pain of rejection, contempt and disdain of a disaffected partner. The underlying plot of the film is subservient to the performances delivered by an extraordinary cast; indeed, the plot is merely a platform for the cast to display attacks on another and the deep wounds manifested by the assault.

Skillfully directed by Dan Mirvish this is a must see film. Each performer is provided the latitude to dig deep inside and deliver an honest, albeit, uncomfortable exhibition of aggression and pain experienced by the target of the attack; at points attractive and ugly; and compassionate and selfish.

Some may view this film as a story about role reversals sprinkled with bits of humor. But for those who have experienced betrayal, disrespect by a loved one, contempt and disdain, this film is so much more than an interested dark comedy; it is an opportunity to see yourself.