In look, this film reminded me so much of those wonderful BBC shows of the 70's and 80's that I wanted to love it, but its flawed story and direction made it a disappointment. This film missed so many chances at greatness. Simple scene additions and subtractions were necessary but were overlooked due to poor story development. We went for our Chris Cooper fix and he did not disappoint, but as stated, the story and the director let him down. Certain scenes were overdone or underdone in the wrong places, such as the scene where he bought poison and kept giving so many halting, stalling, guilty looks until I just about yelled, "enough with the guilty looks, Chris, we get it." And, the "can't we all now just be friends" attitude of the denouement after all the treachery and deception and murderous intent throughout was really lame and unrealistic. A film set in the 40's made now is still a modern film for modern audiences, and the censored and prudish film-making attitudes of the 40's are long gone and forgotten, thank goodness, even if this filmmaker's attempt was to duplicate the look of those pretty sappy film years. At least he did that well.
The film did have the great look of 40's films, terrific period costuming, and great camera-work and lighting. Sets were art deco wonderful too, so it shocked me that in this fine looking film the director missed so many story chances to make it a great film. Among other crucial things stated above, he sold out for the easy and typical, feel-good Hollywood ending, even when it did not fit the rest of the story at all and it would have been much better and more realistic if more serious and unfriendly, and not so "is everybody happy now with this 40's era ending?" Yuk.
The most disappointing thing, other than the sappy, pat ending that really was a shame, were missing story scenes near the end that were needed to finish this story of deception and pain and thus make it into a more serious and believable tale of the damaging results of lost love due to treachery, as this director obviously has a problem with consistent and complete story development, and has no idea how to end one in the most effective manner.
Patricia Clarkson was effective as Cooper's betrayed and betraying wife, as were Pierce Brosnan and Rachal McAdams in lead roles, and Cooper was his usual great presence as the star. His well lived-in, soulful face is so effective in these damaged-man roles that he almost owns the casting for them. However, I would love to have the chance to re-edit this film, adding at least two crucial scenes near the end and subtracting two very lame and disappointing scenes closer to the end.......the dinner of the two couples together where it looked like nothing hurtful ever happened to any of them, everyone was just so nice and polite with each other, and the moronic end scene where the whole gang was playing a party game and laughing. It was so stupid, vapid, sappy and out of place in this otherwise serious film that it ruined the story for me and left me thinking of yet another great chance lost.
The film did have the great look of 40's films, terrific period costuming, and great camera-work and lighting. Sets were art deco wonderful too, so it shocked me that in this fine looking film the director missed so many story chances to make it a great film. Among other crucial things stated above, he sold out for the easy and typical, feel-good Hollywood ending, even when it did not fit the rest of the story at all and it would have been much better and more realistic if more serious and unfriendly, and not so "is everybody happy now with this 40's era ending?" Yuk.
The most disappointing thing, other than the sappy, pat ending that really was a shame, were missing story scenes near the end that were needed to finish this story of deception and pain and thus make it into a more serious and believable tale of the damaging results of lost love due to treachery, as this director obviously has a problem with consistent and complete story development, and has no idea how to end one in the most effective manner.
Patricia Clarkson was effective as Cooper's betrayed and betraying wife, as were Pierce Brosnan and Rachal McAdams in lead roles, and Cooper was his usual great presence as the star. His well lived-in, soulful face is so effective in these damaged-man roles that he almost owns the casting for them. However, I would love to have the chance to re-edit this film, adding at least two crucial scenes near the end and subtracting two very lame and disappointing scenes closer to the end.......the dinner of the two couples together where it looked like nothing hurtful ever happened to any of them, everyone was just so nice and polite with each other, and the moronic end scene where the whole gang was playing a party game and laughing. It was so stupid, vapid, sappy and out of place in this otherwise serious film that it ruined the story for me and left me thinking of yet another great chance lost.