The Other Man (2008)

"Nice shoes. Wanna fuck?"

At a glance:

Confusin and superfluous British-American project, starrin an embarrassment of stars and directed by Richard Eyre, the fella who did Notes On A Scandal (2006) and Iris (2001). It appears to be marketed as a drama about a man (Liam Neeson) who discovers that his wife (Laura Linney) has cheated on him with some Latin lover (Antonio Banderas) and proceeds to track him down despite desperate pleas from his daughter (Romola Garai) not to. Where o where did it all go wrong?

Bad news on the doorstep:

Firstly, this is a story that was simply too flimsy and unspectacular for a feature film, especially with such a decorated cast. Then there's the twist, which may or may not have been intended as a twist because the giveaway is all over its marketin literature e.g. DVD covers. The uneven direction and the jumpy, abrupt scenes lead us to believe that old Eyre here didn't really know what he wanted to achieve. It may have just suffered from an unrefined script that was intended to tell a much better story. Half-way through, you'd wish this would just turn into Taken 2 and Liam Neeson would just start kickin everybody's ass to spare us the tedium.

Perennial wonderment:

Liam Neeson has a long history of bein a troubled married man in his movies, eh. He was supposed to be a cheatin husband in Chloe (2009) and then a husband whose wife suddenly denies even knowin him in Unknown (2011). In Clash Of The Titans (2010) he played the naughty Zeus who fornicated with humans and most recently in The Grey (2012) his wife either died on him or left him. Sadly though, in real life, his wife Natasha Richardson was killed in a skiin accident in March 2009.

Reminds me of:

Anne Fontaine's Nathalie... (2003) starrin Emmanuelle Béart but that was a good film.
Most memorable line:
"I can't decide which is worse - to find out that you're different with another man or that you're the same!"

Amacam joker, berapa bintang lu mau kasi?

Wasted all these actors. Give it a miss. ★★
Trailer for the curious:

Bonus material:
Here's a sequence from the movie that chronicles the sort of experience I believe every man should go through at some point in their lives - to discover on the Internet that one's lover is a big cheat.

"Let's see... what's could the damned password be?"

*Gasp* OMG! *Gasp*

"Oh no..."

"Tidakkkkk..."

"O cintaku... sanggup kau menduakan aku..."

"I'm gonna kill this bastard and eat his heart for dinner."

Latin Lovers: Wrecking Homes Since 1489

P/S I don't think that's really Laura Linney in the nude but that wouldda been nice, wouldn't it?

Sympathy For Delicious (2010)

"Just because I can't get up doesn't mean I can't get it up."

At a glance:

Juliette Lewis

Every bit as uneasy and awkward as its ridiculously unmarketable title, Sympathy For Delicious stars Christopher Thornton (pic), a real-life paraplegic and friend of actor Mark Ruffalo, who is on his directorial debut here. This Thornton guy plays a bitter and invalid turntablist named DJ Delicious D who discovers he has the intermittent power to heal the sick and infirmed - a power that is somehow useless against his own affliction. People who try to turn him into a cash cow include a conflicted Catholic priest (Mark Ruffalo), an underground English rock star (Orlando Bloom) and an opportunistic band manager (Laura Linney), while Delicious D's junkie friend (Juliette Lewis) tries to help him make sense of things. Sounds quite watchable, doesn't it?

Bad news on the doorstep:

Like an urban fable gone wrong, I believe Sympathy For Delicious is a deeply personal project that deserves respect and acknowledgement but was probably made into the wrong kind of movie. It has a great cast and a strong start but is chiefly too incoherent, protracted and bizarre an indie to make heads and tails of. Despite winnin an award or two at Sundance, there are some pretty nasty reviews out there.

Perennial wonderment:

Has Laura Linney ever played an exceedingly sexual role? I'd really like to see more of her.

Well he's certainly enjoyin himself.

Reminds me of:

Evangelicals. Ugh.

Amacam joker, berapa bintang lu mau kasi?

I like the production design and the camerawork but I think Christopher Thornton's actin tends to alienate the audience and frankly there's no real incentive to root for him. Two stars. Visit official site for more info.
Trailer for the curious: