SEPARATE LIES


UK, 2004, 96 minutes, Colour.
Tom Wilkinson, Emily Watson, Rupert Everett, Linda Bassett.
Directed by Julian Fellowes.

Separate Lies is an elegant and intelligent adult drama.

Julian Fellowes, writer and actor, won a screenplay Oscar for Gosford Park. He is obviously comfortable in exploring themes and characters in an upper middle-class world where the men work in the City of London but have weekend cottages in the Buckinghamshire countryside and the women support the men (or leave to find lives of their own).

Based on a novel by Nigel Balchin, Separate Lies is a complex story, one where all the characters are differing shades of grey in their moral stances. No easy black and white solutions.

Tom Wilkinson, in a finely controlled performance (which sometimes breaks out irrationally), is a successful lawyer. Emily Watson is also successful in subtly suggesting the moods of his loving but sometimes dithering wife who is discovering how unhappy she is. When the husband of the woman who does their house is killed in a hit-run accident, the lying begins. Characters are prepared to cover up. Others believe in truth and justice until it touches themselves and do about-faces. The repercussions of the events on the marriage are devastating.

Rupert Everett is able to portray cads without effort and does so here. Linda Bassett, very moving as the widow, becomes the focus of attention at the end and lays before the audience the moral issues and how truth and justice can be handled.

In many ways, this is traditional British drama, drama associated with the BBC. It takes place in a privileged world but its themes are universal.

1. The title? The British and their manners and style? Issues of class? Traditions? In the modern world?

2. Julian Fellowes and his career, interests, British society, values, hypocrisies?

3. London, the flats and offices, the scenes of the city? Buckinghamshire, the village, homes, the countryside? The musical score?

4. The accident, the initial visuals, the repeats? The mystery, the possibilities, the truth, the lies?

5. James and Anne, their marriage, difference in age, no children, the comfortable lives, James’ demands, his being unaware of this, the pressure on Anne, intimidation? Her infidelity and his shock? A righteous man, righteous in business, dealings with people? His zeal for the truth about Bill? Discovering the truth, the lie and covers, his motivations, business and personal?

6. James at work, collaborations with Simon, the devotion of Priscilla, her crush, inviting him to the meal, his later acceptance? Travelling on the train, the car? The delay for the party? Entertaining in the countryside? Meeting Bill, his father? The reactions about the accident, Bill’s driving, his car and the scratch, his confronting him at lunch? Bill’s nonchalence? James and his telling Anne?

7. Bill’s father, respect for the family, Bill and his errant ways, his children and the scene with them, his way of life, his past, Maggie and the stealing, his being the witness against her? His living in America?

8. Anne, her character, strengths and weaknesses, love the James, falling out of love? Being intimidated by his expectations? The meeting with Bill, the affair, driving, the accident? Cover-up? Her wanting to go to the police, James not wanting her to? The alternatives, the lies, the alleged phone call to Bill and his confirming it? Anne caught in the dilemmas? Her decisions?

9. Maggie, as a character, her husband and children, her work, the past, the case against her, builders witness? Anne and her devotion to her, and giving her the job, no questions asked? The funeral? Her witnessing the car, people thinking she was getting revenge? Anne telling her the truth, not believing it, the policeman arriving, denying everything?

10. Bill, character, New York, family, driving fast, arrogant, the affair, love – or not? The lunch with Bill, his seeming indifference? The news of his illness, in hospital? Anne leaving to care for him? His death and funeral? Making sure that Anne was protected?

11. Anne, resuming the affair, saying she would not? Leaving James? Caring for Bill in his illness? Ann and Bill Paris, James’ phone call, the meeting in the park?

12. The business world, Simon, giving the lift home, interest in land? At the office? Concerned about James? The meeting in Paris, the decisions?

13. The police investigations and his frustration at the lies?

14. James and Anne at the funeral? Their futures?