The Other Man

Richard Eyre has carefully constructed an intimate tale of a man who discovers his wife's infidelity.

Liam Neeson and Antonio Banderas provide subtle and mature performances, with Romola Garai outstanding as the daughter.

The film is beautifully shot on location in Milan and Lake Como as well as in London and Ely.

The plot twists are effective, leaving one to reflect on how little we can truly know of the people around us.

Nevertheless, the denouement feels a little forced, even if a logical conclusion to the narrative.

Looking at the cast of "The Other Man" you could consider in buying this film: Liam Nesson, Antonio Banderas, Laura Linney and Romola Garai. The movie delivers? Yes. All that much? No. And if you consider that this was directed by Richard Eyre who directed great ensemble casts in "Iris" and "Notes on a Scandal" there are things that makes of "The Other Man" an inferior film than this two examples.

Neeson plays Peter, a man married with a beautiful wife (Linney), that discover that she hides from him a long affair with Ralph (pronunced Rafe, played by Banderas). What Peter does? Tracks down this man in Italy and tries to see who he really is and what his wife saw in that men. His first idea is to kill this guy but he's always reluctant, so he keeps on playing games with his guy who seems to love Peter's wife very much.

The whole drama pretending to be a thriller goes well, it makes the story interesting until the ending which is quite disappointing and a little bit unexpected. But if you think I can buy the idea that these two guys reveal part of their lives to each other during chess games matches, well I did not buy it. And if they were drunk maybe but that was not the case. Two unknown figures sharing their romantic passages of their lives (with the same woman) is something unbelievable (or perhaps it's just me who likes to play the mysterious guy in front of other people so it's very difficult to make me really share something of this kind of nature). This scenes were great, interesting dialog, except for some angered reaction of Neeson throwing the pieces away after losing a match.

It's a very psychological work about how one can deal with adultery, different reactions might come from the audience, it's very interesting the way Peter does that, changing his persona all the way through this chase after his wife's lover. It's a great material for passionate people who can't forget a betrayal and feel a need to do something about it. This film will make that kind of people think again just like Peter changed his mind in the course of the story.

The acting is decent, the cast is at their best considering the material they were giving. More complexity, more realism and more thrilling moments instead of some bits here and there would make this film better. 7/10

This isn't a simple film. It's a film that plays with time to tell a story encompassing love, jealousy, anger, loss and pain. It covers the gamut of emotions one feels when betrayed and follows the path a man goes down as he discovers his wife has had another love.

I loved Liam Neeson's descent into jealous rage and the discoveries he made about himself, his family and his relationship as he discovers secrets from his wife's past. A moody film, perfectly adapted to its subject matter, you feel drawn into Neeson's character's despair.

It's not the best film I've seen recently but it's one I'm glad I saw and would heartily recommend it to others who are willing to think a film through its details. The acting's good and both Liam Neeson and Laura Linney carry the plot well. Antonio Banderas plays a less rounded role, but still does so enjoyably.

Definitely a film worth watching.

This film is about a man who discovers his wife having an affair with someone in Italy. He is enraged and is determined to find and kill the adulterer.

"The Other Man" is an engaging drama about the enmeshed relationship of three people. The composition of scenes and the use of appropriate music enhances the atmosphere of the film. Acting is uniformly good by all three leads. Laura Linney appears appropriately frail at the end, Antonio Banderas is the macho ladies man, while Liam Neeson suffers in anger and grief. Despite the limited amount material, "The Other Man" manages to be captivating and engaging. If the story of "The Other Man" could be expanded, it would have been even better.

Skipping through reviews before watching this film, I nearly decided to give it a miss. But I found out it was a miss for those negative reviewers who didn't get it. It's a hit, for me anyway.

It's gutsy, deals with real emotions colouring them in hither and thither as the scenes flick by in a non linear time line. That may sound like it's complex - it isn't. You are taken on a journey focusing on Peter, his wife being the essential background to the story, with his wife's lover the foil on which they both tread.

If you're looking for a stereotypical Hollywood scorned husband movie, move along, you'll find no joy here. This is real life in content, pace and dialogue. It's not boring, its not slow and it is captivating. I dare any man who has been cheated on by the love of their life not to be deeply moved by this film. The same probably goes for women. As the story unfolds, there's another group of people that will be moved, and that's for you to discover.

The ending is how it should be given the subject matter - some level of completion. And there's plenty to talk about afterwards. I'd love to say more but that would be giving away too much.

Great acting by all, though Liam Neeson has, and holds firmly, the centre stage.

I give this a low end of 9/10 if that's possible. Enjoy!