The Man in the Attic

"The Man In The Attic" is a movie set in the 1910s. It is inspired by a true story. Unfortunately, it's a story that really didn't need to be told.

Looking at the box, the people responsible for packaging the movie tried their best to make this film appear steamy and erotic. They use terms such as "illicit passion", "forbidden affair", and "unlimited pleasures". They even show a picture of Neil Patrick Harris (little Doogie Howser, M.D.) holding a gun!

The story involves Krista, played by Anne Archer. She is unhappily married to a gentleman who owns his own business. Edward (Harris) is an employee of her husband's company. Krista and Edward end up falling in love with each other.

The supposedly "shocking" part of the movie is this: Krista's husband finds out about the affair and forbids them from ever seeing each other again. So what do they decide to do? Krista ends up having Edward live up in their attic. Wow! Krista ends up seeing someone else and Edward gets extremely jealous. So on and so on and so on.

"The Man In The Attic" doesn't cover any new territory. It's a Showtime original picture, which explains why the stars are a couple of B-list actors and both appear briefly in the buff.

Anne Archer. and Len Cariou. and Neil Patrick Harris.in a TV movie who has many from the sins and virtues of this genre of movies. the flavor of soap opera, the forbidden love as the basic ingredient, the marriage as fiction, the past as puzzle of seductive memories. The Man in the Attic has the gift to use inspired form for tell the story. and it is not only a good point but the axis of film's credibility and the detail who builds the seduction of a chain of events who are well known from pink novels and tabloids. result - in strange manner, a touching movie. and a not bad analysis of love, sacrifice, family, need of the other, choices with romantic air but, in fact, forms of survive. Neil Harris does a real admirable job in that case and that fact defines , in many aspects, the special status of film among many others from same genre.

Anne Archer plays Krista Heldman a wife of a business owner Joseph Heldman play by Len Cariou. Neil Patrick Harris plays Edward Broder the friend of their son. Joseph hires Edward since he is close friend of his son. Edward get familiar with the family and suddenly when the son dies the situation chances. Joseph begin to be abusive to Krista and Edward more than a friend to Krista a lover. When Joseph finds out about the affair Edward losing his job and home. Edward nowhere to go Krista hides him in the attic. Will Joseph ever find Edward in the top of the house? All the performances are excellent in this made for TV movie.

The movie had all the elements of a movie to be potentially great.

I was immediately captivated in watching it. The narrative hook, showing the jail and the interviewer; after that, my eyes were glued to the screen right until the end...

The story builds and enriches beautifully throughout the screen. Their are always gradual changes, but not too long or ongoing to still keep you interested. Very well done acting, but I bieleve far better direction and plot to go along with.

After I watched the movie, I went to bed, when I woke up the next morning I couldn't bieleve what happened, how far the movie built this so-called relationship, this so-called 'family'. But, I've said too much I don't want to give the movie away.

This is an excellent film, well-made and well-acted that makes an extraordinary story believable. The characters are multi-layered and performances suitably reflect that. Anne Archer sensitively depicts a woman devastated by the loss of her son, sexually dominant, often deceitful, but possessing a heart and conscience. Neil Patrick Harris appears by turns uncertain, shy, horny, demanding and submissive in the role of Edward Broder, a man who chose to live under a kind of voluntary house arrest to be with the woman he loved. Len Cariou is credible when he plays a husband who is harsh and cruel and equally so when he is endearingly "lovesick."

I was so intrigued by the knowledge that this tale of a man who lived in a couple's attic for years without the husband knowing he was there was based on a true story that I simply had to research it further. It turned out to be inspired by the story of Otto Sanhuber who lived in the attic of Fred and Dolly Oesstreich, about whom I have a story at Court TV's Crime Library. This movie is so good that it rewards re-watching when the viewer can appreciate its multiple layers of interaction and meaning.