The Other Man (2008)

Save your money for something good and enjoyable

Don't Believe the Hype

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

I must say, I have always been appalled at the desdain people have for this movie.What kind of a world do we live in where junk like Twilight gets showered with undeserving recognition, and a little jewel like this one gets dismissed as being an unwatchable piece of trash?This movie (along with Woman Wanted and Keeping The Faith), has one of the best love triangle romances I've ever seen, making it highly notable since most of these types of stories usually crash and burn before the movie is into it's first half hour.But surprisingly, The Other Man is done with style, panache, and a certain originality not so much in the plot as in the way the plot is brought out.The movie revolves around a successful Software designer named Peter (Liam Neeson) who's a devoted family man with a daughter Abigail (Romola Garai), and a wife Lisa (Laura Linney) who has pursued a brilliant career in shoe designing.Peter loves Lisa very much, and though the feeling is obviously mutual, it's also obvious his wife is hiding something from him...And though Peter himself can't see it, our suspicions are confirmed when, while dining at a restaurant, Lisa asks if Peter has ever wanted to sleep with someone else.Peter is stunned, the idea of infidelity having never occurred to him.That night, just as his wife is about to tell him something, the screen fades to black...When we next see Peter, he's alone (Lisa is mysteriously gone).While in the process of giving Abigail her mother's clothes, a piece of paper is retrieved from a pair of Lisa's red high heels which unleashes a devastating series of events, revealing a man named Ralph (Antonio Banderas), and a life Peter never knew Lisa had.This ignites a quest to find his wife's lover...and to kill him.Neeson and Banderas are perfect for their roles, and Romola Garai really adds a lot by her presence as the daughter.With the exception of the opening scene, Lisa's character is a ghost, shown only in flashbacks.There's a quote from a critic which describes her performance quite well:"Linney, luminescent as always, is the dazzling center of this triangle."That quote made me want to see the movie.I like the idea of the triangle's center being a ghost like figure, present only in the minds of her loved ones instead of alive, and heavy with schmaltz.Schmaltz is something we could all do without, and the abscence of it is what makes this (like so many other of my favorite movies), so refreshing.The characters actually manage to behave with some maturity.If not at the beginning, then at least at the end.For once they act like adults instead of blubbering teenagers.This is a terrific movie, one that deserves more attention, instead of being dismissed as just another waste of time.Originally, Review #62 Posted On: August 19, 2010

a woman justifying cheating that's it, brought to you by the don't judge me snowflake generation...God curse all. a man who works and is not perfect, like you could be with white woman today no attempt at counseling nope just free sex..God curse you all the modern western woman is not wife material, she has been given enough rope to hang herself and destroy the modern male...which she is doing.

This was interesting enough as a "suspense" film, but I was confused reconciling the description on the case with the actual story. The distributor writes that Neeson's character "is obsessed with uncovering the truth surrounding his wife's disappearance".She never "disappears" in the film, she dies of cancer. That is a really sad way to add suspense to a film.The viewer keeps wondering when the wife will "re-appear" until about 15 minutes before the end, when the director takes us through Linney's cancer-and-death scenes.There is no indication earlier from any character that Neesons character is anything but a jealous husband looking for his adulterous runaway wife. I was VERY disappointed, and wish I had not read the case notes...

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.