THE TRUTH ABOUT LOVE
UK, 2005, 100 minutes, Colour.
Jennifer Love Hewitt, Dougray Scott, Jimi Mistri.
Directed by John Hay.
The Truth about Love is a slight comedy about marriage, betrayal, fidelity and infidelity. It is all treated with a very light touch, comic, romantic, bordering on the silly and the trivial.
The setting is Bristol, very attractive as a city with its water settings.
The central character is played by Jennifer Love Hewitt, sporting a very persuasive English accent, looking very much like Sally Hawkins and giving Sally Hawkins-like performance. Dougray Scott is his usual self, sympathetic but with the touch of the morose. He plays a solicitor who is in love with Jennifer Love Hewitt but she has married his friend, the barrister, Sam, played by Jimi Mistri. It is Jimi Mistri who plays the villain of the piece, seemingly happily married, with a mistress on the side, and eager to begin new sexual adventures when he receives a mysterious phone call from Anonymous. In fact, Anonymous is his wife testing him out, not really believing him to be unfaithful, but finding out the bitter truth as she masquerades as Anonymous, tricking him by making him blindfold. But he is finally exposed by his mistress – which leaves Jennifer Love Hewitt finally realising that she loved Dougray Scott.
1. The film described as a screwball comedy for the 21st century? Men and women, love, relationships, fidelity and infidelity? Unmasking deceits?
2. The truth about the title – or untruths about fidelity?
3. The Bristol setting, the British city, homes and streets, pubs? The waterfront, boats? The courts? The musical score?
4. The focus on Alice, her appearance, gaunt, her hair, her manner? Her marriage, relationship with Sam? In love? The relationship with Archie, knowing him in the past, his devotion to her, her not realising it? Her discussions with Felicity? Felicity and her attitudes towards men, affairs, control? Receiving the Valentine, the radishes? Thinking it was Sam? Her response? His reactions? Felicity and the plan for the phone call, the new phone, the disguised voice, phone sex, Sam’s response, the appointment to meet, her blindfolding him? Her leaving, the encounter with Katia? Going further with the plann, the hotel room, the sexual encounter, Sam and his infidelity? Relying on Felicity for advice? Getting the key of the room from Archie? Her disappointment? Katia coming to the house, telling Sam that Alice was Anonymous? His protestations? Her disillusionment? Going to Archie? The kiss? His leaving for Japan, the boat buyer and the information, going to the railway station, the farcical aspect of her making the announcements, chasing the train, Archie getting off the train?
5. Archie, love for Alice, sending the radish, the card, fixing the boat, friendship with Sam, as a solicitor, in court, the case, the testimonies, the photos, his noticing the absence of the tatoo, finding the double, bringing him to court? His clashes with Sam? The decision to go to Japan, on the train, getting off the train? His future?
6. Sam, marrying Alice, his work in the courts, his self-centredness, the case, the questions, Archie and his bringing the information? His celebration, TV interview? His relationship with Alice, the relationship with Katia, Katia, his visits with her, not telling her the truth? The phone call from Anonymous, his following through, the rendezvous, being blindfolded, the second episode, the sexual satisfaction, the confrontation by Katia, his being exposed?
7. Felicity, her personality, relationships with men, dominating Alice, the ruse, following through, supporting Alice, her friendship?
8. The court case, the manager, his testimony, the footballer, his actress wife and leaving, the headlines, Archie finding the double, winning the case? The manager and his being arrested for perjury? The severity of the judge?
9. The frivolous tone of much of the action, bordering on the trivial – but with serious issues of love and fidelity and commitment?
