Separate Lies (2005)

Touches You

Don't listen to the negative reviews

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Now this is the sort of film we used to get weekly . Now-a-days it is rare to see a drama that depends on the cast talking to each other.There are no explosions, car chases or any chases,there are implied sexual situations.This is not film for the younger crowd, It is for those that appreciate people talking to each other,They do argue a lot as we have married couple having mid life problems.Emily Watson & Tom Wilkinson are seemingly a very happy middle aged loving man & wife. Now living in this same small London suburb, handsome, Rupert Everett returns home to visit his wealthy father.He of course meets Emily Watson, It would be easy for anyone to be smitten by Emily. I say no more, except that as the credits begin there is a fatal accident,the rest of the film is about the repercussions of this accident & all the lies the various characters tell..The acting by this trio & the others is excellent.Julien Fellows wrote the screenplay based on a novel by Nigel Balchin. He also directed, this was his first directorial attempt & he did very well. The entire production is first rate.The film had a few month theatrical run in late 2005, is under 80 theatres. This to me is a shame, Stupid comedies open on at least 2000 screens but real good drams as this & many others open in only a few.By the way there are some very funny lines regarding certain situations.Ratings: ***1/2 (out of 4) 95 points (out of 100) IMDb 9 (out of 10)

Early on during Separate Lies, you know there's something out of sorts. The narrator, James, as the lead character has hinted at it through his hindsight, and you expect some tumult. However, the perplexing decision the director has made is to only focus on the main character wholly. We feel his shock, bewilderment,confusion, and sadness. But we're only really able to witness and empathize with him rather than the other two main characters. This decision of only focusing on him seems to weaken the emotional impact in terms of the screenplay although it may be more original. (spoilers) At first reaction to the waves of bad news, I felt some pretty strong contempt for the Wilkerson's character in his supposed emotions and reactions, as sort of lacking a backbone and becoming a doormat. But upon pondering, I thought the whole thing seemed somewhat believable just not agreeable. Anyway, the movie's screenplay is pretty good - but without the emotional angles of Anne and William (other 2 main characters) it becomes a one-sided story which may be the point. Separate Lies is well acted, scripted but detached and aloof save for Wilkerson making it strangely unappealing and lacking. (spoiler) The lead character's initial reaction to infidelity is too forgiving, although his about face in terms of the accident was well played out. And the Watson character at times does not seem convincing in her lack of emotion. How are we able to believe her feelings if all that is on display is her blank countenances during conversations? Also, how unaffected and blasé the 2 perpetrators of the accident are was distastefully repugnant. Several characters keep remarking how Anne (Watson character) is riddled with guilt, but it hardly registered in any scene. Wilkerson seems to perform best in no small part to his majority share of screen-time and his validation of emotions. Pretty good, but could've been better, and maybe even done without the accident.

I was pulled into this movie early on, much to my surprise, because I hadn't intended to watch it at all. Now I wish I hadn't. The suspense starts out well, with the hit-and-run resulting in death and the question of whether the guilty character will confess, or be found out, or (doable now, though a no-no in the old days of movie-making) get away with it. The plot's been done before--what plot hasn't--but the tensions inherent in it, with the additional complications and motivations arising out of the illicit love affair, make for an absorbing first half. Then the film abandons the hit-and-run to embark upon a misty exposition of two unrequited, all-suffering loves. The two tracks of plot--hit-and-run and unreasoning love--just don't have enough to do with each other, and that they involve the same characters doesn't bind them enough to justify the departure from the original story line. The screenwriter should have chosen one plot or the other. At the end of the film, in the midst of the movie's second funeral, I found myself thinking, "Now, what does any of this have to do with that hit-and-run?" The filmmakers may think the answer obvious, but I think the movie was plotted and executed flabbily.

..we weave, and you know the rest of that.deception, adultery, guilt, spinelessness, accidental murder, nature's retribution, did i leave anything out?i'm not sure i buy the husband's argument that his wife's felony would ruin his reputation. it's his wife's problem, not his, and it probably would not have done much harm.now i can see the need to protect the one you love, but i guess if i found out my wife was cheating, and the rest of the story, i probably would have turned her in. but that's just me. justice and all that.then there's God's punishment on Bill. How neat and tidy.but the end at least was the logical one, no goofy surprises.