THIRD PERSON

US, 2014, 137 minutes, Colour.
Liam Neeson, Maria Bello, Mila Kunis, Kim Basinger, Adrien Brody, Olivia Wilde, James Franco, Oliver Crouch, Ricardo Scarmaccio, Morran Atias, Vincent Marchioni, Caroline Goodall, David Harewood, Michael Margotta.
Directed by Paul Haggis.

When considering Third Person, it is useful to bear in mind that writer and director, Paul Haggis, won an Oscar for the screenplay Crash, 2005, which also won the Best Picture. Crash was complex plot with a group of people in Los Angeles connected by the crash in question. In Third Person, there are quite a number of characters, also interconnected.

Liam Neeson stars as a writer, separated from his wife, Kim Basinger after the death of their son drowning, in Paris and trying to write. In the early minutes of the film, he turns from his typewriter and hears a child whispering, “Watch me”. This recurs at the end of the film with much more significance.
The author makes some comments about his emotional responses to life and death, noting that in writing, his characters are embodiments of his own feelings and perspectives.
There is a story beginning in Rome with Adrien Brody is an industrial spy, stealing patterns for designer clothes for a cheap market. He becomes involved with a Romanian woman sitting in a bar, reacts when she comes back to find her bag and 5000 euros missing. Her allegedly abducted daughter is involved, the man who has lost his own daughter, becomes infatuated with her, willing to give all his money for herself and for her child.

There is also a New York story, a woman has lost custody of her child because of a violent experience, works as a hotel maid, trying to get to a meeting with a judge and her former husband and his partner to discuss custody and visitation rights. She is late, to the anger of the lawyer and the judge, and clashing with her former husband.

In the meantime, a young writer visits Liam Neeson in Paris, with the on and off again affair, his writing and the complication for the woman and her father.

Towards the end of the film is characters disappear and we are reminded that they are representations of the author and his own experiences and feelings.

The cast includes Olivia Wilde is the woman in Paris, James Franco as the husband in New York, Mila Kunis as his ex- wife, Adrien Brody and the sequence with the Israeli actress, Moran Attias, who is one of the producers film,.

Paul Haggis also won an Oscar for his screenplay for Million Dollar Baby and also directed In the Valley of Elah.

1. A multi-stories film? The focus of the novelist, and his creation of the stories? Audience appreciation of this technique? The voice, “Watch me”, the author looking around? The repetition at the end? The novelist and his comment about the writer and his characters being an outlet for emotions?

2. Paul Haggis, his career, as a writer, Oscars, film direction?

3. The international cast?

4. The Paris locations, the writer’s room, the hotel, the restaurants, streets, landmarks? New York City, apartments, hotels, the studio, the streets, offices? Rome, locations, the venue for the deal, the bar, the road, the city of Foggia, the bars, wharves, views? The musical score?

5. The title, Anna and her questioning of Michael?

6. The introduction of Michael, Liam Neeson, the writer, the recurring scenes of his sitting at his desk, writing? His relationship with Elaine, the phone calls, her grief, love, his leaving her? Anna, arrival, the ticket bought with points, her writing, his bluntness and the notes, his criticism of her outlets in writing and standards? Expectations? The clashes, his carrying her into the room, the sexual encounters, having her own room, wearing the robe, his taking it from her, her running around the corridors nude? Their outings, his gifts? The watch and her putting it in the sink? The time together, angers? Invitation to go to the bar, dancing? Her relationship with Daniel, with him, leaving, the phone call, the revelation that Daniel was her father? The shock? Michael the colour of white, trust? Reading the manuscript, her being in the marketplace, the white dress? The revelation that the phone call when his son was killed was to her? His lying to Anna? Chasing her, her becoming the different women?

7. Elaine, love for Michael, the pathos, the relationship, the death of their child, her wanting him to come home, forgiveness? The truth? His seeing the boy in the fountain? The possibilities of a return?

8. Scott, in Rome, the deal and fashion espionage? His daughter and the phone calls Teresa^? Going into the bar, the surly barman, not speaking English, beer, the old man, Monica’s arrival, Gypsy from Romania? The drinks, talk, her leaving, the story about her daughter, the bag, everybody afraid that it was a bomb, Scott carrying it, the shoes? His return, her coming again, the accusation, the truth about his taking the money? The phone number on the note? Their talk, the issue of $5000? Wanting to pay for her daughter? Refused at the hotel, sleeping at the station, the comparison between the daughters? The drive, her borrowing the car, the encounter with Carlo in Foggia, the $5000, wanting 10,000, upping to 25,000? Scott and the relationship with Monica, whether to believe her story or not, going to the hotel, the sexual encounter? The morning after? The wharf, his waiting, the police, Carlo and the challenge, his being willing to give all his money to Monica? Wiring America for the cash? Their driving away – which aspect of Michael did Scott represent?

9. Rick, in the loft, with the girlfriend, his son, putting his hand in the blue paint, the surly son, storming off, Rick and his paintings? The relationship with Julia? Going to the chambers, her running late, the girlfriend leaving, in the elevator and looking at Julia? The phone call and his agreeing to the meeting, his forcing the truth about her injuring their son, her taking the boy, seen in the lift, her leaving, the bond with her son? The milk, asking her son to care for his father? Which aspect of Michael did Rick represent?

10. Julia, anxious, with Teresa, the custody case, not having money, her mental upset, injuring her child, visitation rights? Going for the job, the kindly man, the uniform, making the beds, the story of her being an actress in soap operas? Writing down the address, the irony of the paper also in Paris with the address, and the number, and seeing it? The extra jobs, paying for the phonecard, not having money in the taxi, the running late? Her plea, the lawyer and a refusal to see Julia? Teresa’s exasperation? Going to the toilet, Rick’s girlfriend and her sympathy? Going to see Rick, admitting the truth, the lift, leaving? In the hotel room – and smashing the roses?

11. Anna, her age, the years and relationship with Michael, the fatal phone call, Elaine knowing about her? Arrival in Paris, the story, the clashes, Michael’s insults, carrying her, the sexual encounter, nude in the corridors, the outings, the dress, the arguments, can to the club, dancing, leaving, her going to see Daniel, the sexual relationship, his pleading, the revelation that he was her father?

12. Teresa, her legal work, with Julia, impatience with her, paying the taxi, pleading with the lawyer, her exasperation – her swimming, the death of their child, the phone calls with Scott?

13. Audience alert with the notepads in Paris and New York? Anna taking the address and phone number, its going into the basket?

14. Michael’s agent, their meeting, his lying to pacify Michael, Michael’s challenge, inability to publish, the writing, the improvement, the possible publication despite the truth?

15. Michael as the focus of the characters, combining them, the end?