THE OTHER MAN
UK, 2008, 85 minutes, Colour.
Liam Neeson, Antonio Banderas, Laura Linney, Romola Garai, Paterson Joseph, Pam Ferris.
Directed by Richard Eyre.
Some years ago, Orange phones began a series of very amusing advertisements for cinemas warning people to turn off their mobile phones. There was an Orange Committee for listening to pitches for films by well-known stars – and the head, Mr Dresden, always ruined them with a suggestion to insert a mobile phone into the script. The first was with Carrie Fisher who had proposed a romance where the couple communicated by letters. Mr Dresden suggested phone communication. Mr Dresden must have been around for this screenplay where a secret cache of communications is not found, as in the good old days, letters hidden away and tied with ribbon, but by ransacking a hard drive for emails and photos and trying to work out the computer password. Not as romantic as in the past!
The Other Man is a film with a fine pedigree: from a short story by Bernhard Schlink (The Reader), written by Charles Wood (How I Won the War, Iris), with the director, Richard Eyre (Iris, Notes on a Scandal), with a top cast. However, the film was little seen and, if you see it (not without interest), you understand why.
What can work well on a page, given the time we take to read it and absorb it, may move far too quickly on screen where the film keeps moving on without time for a pause. At times, this film is far too literary in the sense just explained, and, given the realistic setting and treatment of the plot, it seems far too contrived and stylised. Some scenes may have worked much better on stage (which is where Richard Eyre is from).
The other difficulty is the structure of the film. The audience is left deliberately confused until the end about what has happened, especially in terms of chronology - and an important (key) element is not revealed until very late. This makes some logical sense of what has transpired but is a bit of a twist shock that makes for irritation that we did not know this information before.
The plot is rather simple in itself, after the event. A wife asks whether a couple can stay married forever. She disappears. The husband discovers she had a lover and tracks him down and finally confronts him. The wife is played by Laura Linney, the husband by Liam Neeson. (they worked together in Love, Actually and Kinsey.) Romola Garai is their daughter. The 'other man' of the title is Antonio Banderas – and it is he who has most of the difficult lines (speeches) to deliver. He does his best, but the situation is contrived by the husband and the declarations are rather stagily elaborate.
Of course, this may work well for some audiences but most may resist the urge to be drawn into it.
1.The strong credits for the film? Performance, direction?
2.The film as a short story, literary, strong dialogue? A piece of theatre? How cinematic? Or not?
3.The presentation of London as realistic? Milan? Como? The musical score?
4.The credits, Lisa on the boat with the other man, the lake, the photos?
5.The time structure of the film and the information given to the audience, sufficient clues for the conclusion? The plot finally clear and logical?
6.Fashion, the family, the design of shoes, the catwalk in Milan, Abigail and her mother and shoes, the staff and celebration?
7.The meal, Lisa and her talk about fidelity, staying with the one person? The possibility of walking out? The transition to Lisa’s walking out the door? Her final declaration of love?
8.Peter, as a person, character, his work, collaboration with the staff? his love for Abigail, his wariness about her relationship with George? Supporting Lisa, the discussions, the meal? Her leaving? The move to be with Abigail and George?
9.Going to her computer, the puzzle, the file on Lake Como, the clues, the search, finding the photos, his anger? Seeing Lisa’s relationship with this other man? His attacking Ralph on his staff – Ralph being hurt, the wrong Ralph? Getting his assistant to search for the real Ralph, his name and address? Password, images?
10.Abigail and George, their life together, Peter and relationship with his daughter? Lisa and her love for her daughter? Milan, the discussion about shoes? Abigail not being able to go to the meal? Abigail and her concern about her father, talking on the phone, going to Milan, challenging her father?
11.Peter going to Milan, discovering Ralph, following him, seeing him play chess, playing with him, the developing friendship, confidences, discussions, listening? The revelation of the truth? The continuing friendship? His playing with Ralph and his emotions with the emails? Lending him the money, going to the dinner rendezvous and telling him the truth?
12.Ralph and his background, criminal, the photos, the affair with Lisa, his personal fantasies, wanting to be more important than he was? The messages from Lisa and his delight, playing chess, the discussions with Peter, winning? Borrowing the money, the set-up? The speeches when he discovered the truth?
13.The organisation of the dinner, Peter and Ralph together, Abigail and George, the various staff and friends? The speech, the truth? People’s reaction, concern?
14.Lisa and the cancer, the flashbacks, her illness, talking? Leaving the clue of Lake Como in the shoe, for the computer? The death with her husband and daughter being with her? Peter’s grief?
15.Lisa and Ralph, the effect, the love, the affair, the secrecy?
16.The final dinner, Ralph’s speech, toast? The group reaction? Abigail and George? Peter and his finally expressing gratitude to Ralph for making him realise how much he loved his wife?
17.The value of the conclusion that Peter learnt about his love for Lisa through Ralph and her relationship with him?
