The Other Man (2008)

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.

Fmovies: This film is ultimately disappointing and deserving of its relatively low rating because its edit is annoying and telegraphs where it is going. World-class actors contribute tension and pace and a poor edit simply brings the movie to a complete stop. If ever there was an example of how important editing is to a movie, this is it. Film classes should look at this movie, deconstruct it, and put it back together in a more interesting way. If you watch this film, think about simply reordering several scenes to build tension and mystery and remove confusion. It's a worthwhile exercise. Movies are a complex undertaking that requires contributions of so many -- many folks labored over this film but the folks who put it together just didn't have the talent to pull it off.

I think I have rarely seen worse movies than this one. The movie just doesn't add up. It keeps your interest for the first 30 minutes I think, then you start wondering what is happening. What I really really really can't understand is, how such a good cast decided to be in this slow dragging, boring , lousy end , kind of movie !

It's just a simple story of a cheating wife. Actually the story starts off with Liam Neeson finding out that his wife is cheating on him. He finds out who it is, befriends him, and the movie ends. I am not joking. There is absolutely nothing else in the movie. If there is , someone please tell me what I missed.

Anyways believe me, you don't want to see this one.

The Other Man fmovies. 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!

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.

In Cambridge, the software engineer Peter (Liam Neeson) and the shoe designer Lisa (Laura Linney) are successful in their careers and have been happily married for twenty-five years. They have an adult daughter, Abigail (Romola Garai), and Lisa frequently travels to Milano to do business with the Gianni & Gianni Company. When Lisa is gone, Peter finds a message in her cellular and decides to snoop her e-mails and discovers in a secret folder named Love that she had a lover, Ralph (Antonio Banderas). Peter travels to Milano and stalks Ralph; he finds that the man plays chest in a bar. Peter gets close to Ralph that tells his relationship with Lisa without knowing that he is her husband.

"The Other Man" is an engaging romance about adultery and triangle of love among the husband, the wife and her lover. The story is supported by the excellent Liam Neeson, Laura Linney and Antonio Banderas but unfortunately the suspenseful screenplay has a disappointing conclusion. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "O Amante" ("The Lover")