The Other Man (2008 film)

Last updated

The Other Man
The Other Man DVD Cover Amazon.jpg
Directed by Richard Eyre
Screenplay by
Based onThe Other Man
by Bernhard Schlink
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography Haris Zambarloukos
Edited by Tariq Anwar
Music by Stephen Warbeck
Production
company
Rainmark Films
Distributed by
Release dates
  • September 7, 2008 (2008-09-07)(TIFF)
  • September 11, 2009 (2009-09-11)
Running time
84 minutes [1]
Countries
  • United Kingdom
  • United States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$2.1 million [2]

The Other Man is a 2008 psychological thriller film directed by Richard Eyre. It stars Liam Neeson and Antonio Banderas as competitors for a woman's (Laura Linney) love.

Contents

Plot

Lisa, from the United States, is a shoe designer, married for 25 years to Peter Ryman, a software CEO from Northern Ireland. They live in Cambridge, and Lisa frequently travels to Milan on business. Peter disapproves of their daughter Abigail's boyfriend, George, and Lisa makes an oblique attempt to discuss her and Peter's monogamy, which he dismisses.

After Lisa dies, Abigail gives Peter a note with the message "Lake Como" from inside one of her mother's shoes. Peter discovers a romantic voicemail on Lisa's cell phone and a similar email on her computer from "Ralph", as well as a password-protected folder named "Love". Convinced that Lisa was having an affair, Peter wrongly accuses her colleague of the same name of being her lover. He replies to the email, “The Lisa you loved is no longer here,” but Ralph continues to write, believing he is still communicating with Lisa. Peter accesses Lisa's folder with the password “Lake Como,” discovering intimate pictures of her in Milan with another man. He has an employee illegally trace Ralph's IP address, revealing his physical address in Milan.

Peter travels to Milan and follows the half-Spanish, half-English cosmopolitan Ralph Cortés, striking up a conversation with him at a chess café. Over several meetings, Ralph – unaware of Peter's true identity – explains his twelve-year-long affair with Lisa. Having fallen in love with her despite knowing she was married, Ralph believes Lisa will soon rekindle their relationship. Concerned about her father, Abigail finds Ralph's messages and calls Ralph on Lisa's phone, confirming the affair. She confronts Peter in Milan, realizing he has become dangerously obsessed. Fixated on revenge, Peter goes to Ralph's apartment and discovers he is not the wealthy man he appears, but an impoverished building superintendent. Preparing to kill Ralph, Peter changes his mind and leaves.

Posing as Lisa, Peter emails Ralph, asking him to meet her at Lake Como. Ralph excitedly informs Peter, who gives him money to throw Lisa a lavish dinner party in London to seal their relationship. Buying expensive new clothes, Ralph arrives at the Villa d'Este to reunite with Lisa, only to be met by Peter, who reveals that he was Lisa's husband and that she died of cancer. In flashbacks, as Peter and Abigail care for the dying Lisa, Peter asks her to write down the place where she was happiest; Lisa writes down “Lake Como” for Peter to find, and has Abigail hide the note in one of the shoes she was wearing when she first met Ralph. Admitting that his pretensions of wealth are a lie, Ralph explains that Lisa knew the truth and paid off his debts, declaring that she truly loved him, and Peter leaves.

Back home, Peter decides to attend the dinner Ralph has arranged to celebrate Lisa, and invites Abigail and George. With Lisa's friends and loved ones gathered, Peter swallows his anger at Ralph and gives a heartfelt toast to his wife's memory, reconciling with Abigail and finally welcoming George to their family. As Ralph starts a new life as a hospital orderly in London, Peter and Abigail – having finally found closure in Lisa's death – return home.

Cast

Production

Principal photography took place in early 2008 in the United Kingdom and Italy. [3]

Release

The Other Man premiered at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival on 7 September 2008. [4] It had a limited released in the United States on 11 September 2009. [5] It was released on DVD and Blu-ray in the United Kingdom on 2 November 2009, and in the United States on 15 December 2009. [6] [7]

Reception

The film received negative reviews from Variety , The Hollywood Reporter , and The Houston Chronicle . [8] [9] [10] On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 16% of 38 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 4/10.The website's consensus reads: "Despite the best efforts of a talented cast, The Other Man is talky, witless, and tension-free." [11] Metacritic , which uses a weighted average , assigned the film a score of 34 out of 100, based on 8 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews. [12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julia Roberts</span> American actress (born 1967)

Julia Fiona Roberts is an American actress. Known for her leading roles in films encompassing a variety of genres, she has received multiple accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and three Golden Globe Awards. The films in which she has starred have collectively grossed over $3.9 billion globally, making her one of Hollywood's most bankable stars. After an early breakthrough with appearances in Mystic Pizza (1988) and Steel Magnolias (1989), Roberts established herself as a leading actress when she headlined the top-grossing romantic comedy Pretty Woman (1990).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liam Neeson</span> Actor from Northern Ireland (born 1952)

William John Neeson is an actor from Northern Ireland. He has received several accolades, including nominations for an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, three Golden Globe Awards, and two Tony Awards. In 2020, he was placed seventh on The Irish Times list of Ireland's 50 Greatest Film Actors. Neeson was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laura Linney</span> American actress (born 1964)

Laura Leggett Linney is an American actress. She is the recipient of several awards, including two Golden Globe Awards and four Primetime Emmy Awards, and has been nominated for three Academy Awards and five Tony Awards.

<i>Kinsey</i> (film) 2004 American film

Kinsey is a 2004 American biographical drama film written and directed by Bill Condon. It describes the life of Alfred Charles Kinsey, a pioneer in the area of sexology. His 1948 publication, Sexual Behavior in the Human Male was one of the first recorded works that tried to scientifically address and investigate sexual behavior in humans. The film also stars Laura Linney, Chris O'Donnell, Peter Sarsgaard, Timothy Hutton, John Lithgow, Tim Curry, and Oliver Platt.

<i>Les Misérables</i> (1998 film)

Les Misérables is a 1998 film adaptation of Victor Hugo's 1862 novel of the same name, directed by Bille August. It stars Liam Neeson, Geoffrey Rush, Uma Thurman, and Claire Danes. As in the original novel, the storyline follows the adult life of Jean Valjean (Neeson), an ex-convict pursued by police inspector Javert (Rush). It was filmed at Barrandov Studios in Prague, Czech Republic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angela Bettis</span> American actress

Angela Marie Bettis is an American actress, film producer, and director. Following her breakthrough role as Janet Webber in the drama film Girl, Interrupted (1999), she earned acclaim for her portrayals of Carrietta White in the television film Carrie (2002) and the titular character in the psychological horror film May (2002). For May, she won the Brussels International Festival Award for Best Actress, the Catalan International Film Festival Award for Best Actress and the Fangoria Chainsaw Award for Best Actress. She went on to play Belle Cleek in the horror film The Woman (2011) and Mandy in the black comedy film 12 Hour Shift (2020). For 12 Hour Shift, she earned a nomination for the Critics' Choice Award for Best Actress in a Horror Movie.

<i>Seraphim Falls</i> 2006 American film

Seraphim Falls is a 2006 American revisionist Western film directed by television producer and director David Von Ancken in his only feature film. The storyline was conceived from a screenplay written by Von Ancken and Abby Everett Jaques. The fictional story focuses on a bounty hunt for a Union soldier by a Confederate colonel following the American Civil War in the late 1860s. Pierce Brosnan, Liam Neeson, Michael Wincott, Tom Noonan, and Ed Lauter star in principal roles. Seraphim Falls explores civil topics, such as violence, human survival and war.

<i>High Spirits</i> (film) 1988 film by Neil Jordan

High Spirits is a 1988 fantasy comedy film written and directed by Neil Jordan and starring Steve Guttenberg, Daryl Hannah, Beverly D'Angelo, Liam Neeson and Peter O'Toole. It is an Irish, British and American co-production.

<i>The Naked Gun</i> American crime comedy film series

The Naked Gun media franchise consists of several American crime spoof-comedies, based on an original story written by the comedy filmmaking trio Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker. The installments include one television series and three theatrical films. The plot centers on a police detective with a lot of heart, despite being less than intelligent. Leslie Nielsen stars in each installment in the protagonist role of Detective Sergeant Franklin "Frank" Drebin, with a fourth film starring Liam Neeson as Frank Drebin Jr. scheduled for release in 2025. The franchise was met with mostly positive critical reception, and the films were a financial box office success.

Amy Pascal is an American film producer and business executive. She served as the Chairperson of the Motion Pictures Group of Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) and Co-Chairperson of SPE, including Sony Pictures Television, from 2006 until 2015. She has overseen the production and distribution of many films and television programs, and was co-chairperson during the 2014 Sony Pictures hack. The leak uncovered multiple emails from Pascal which were deemed racist including racial jokes aimed at then-President Barack Obama. She left Sony and Pascal later admitted that she was fired from the company.

<i>The Good Mother</i> (1988 film) 1988 film by Leonard Nimoy

The Good Mother is a 1988 American drama film and an adaptation of Sue Miller's novel of the same name. Directed by Leonard Nimoy, the film stars Diane Keaton and Liam Neeson in the leading roles. The Good Mother explores feelings and beliefs about children's exposure to adult sexuality and challenges society's growing reliance upon courts to settle complex private and ethical matters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abigail Breslin</span> American actress (born 1996)

Abigail Breslin is an American actress. Following a string of film parts as a young child, she rose to prominence at age 10 when she played Olive Hoover in Little Miss Sunshine (2006), for which she received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Breslin went on to establish herself as a mainstream actress with roles in films such as No Reservations (2007), Nim's Island, Definitely, Maybe, My Sister's Keeper, Zombieland, Rango (2011), The Call, August: Osage County, Maggie (2015), and Stillwater (2021). Her other projects include the Fox series Scream Queens (2015–2016), where she portrayed Libby Putney, her first regular role on television.

<i>Man on Wire</i> 2008 documentary film directed by James Marsh

Man on Wire is a 2008 documentary film directed by James Marsh. The film chronicles Philippe Petit's 1974 high-wire walk between the Twin Towers of New York's World Trade Center. It is based on Petit's 2002 book, To Reach the Clouds, released in paperback with the title Man on Wire. The title of the film is taken from the police report that led to the arrest of Petit, whose performance lasted for almost an hour. The film is crafted like a heist film, presenting rare footage of the preparations for the event and still photographs of the walk, alongside re-enactments and present-day interviews with the participants, including Barry Greenhouse, an insurance executive who served as the inside man.

<i>Taken</i> (film) 2008 film by Pierre Morel

Taken is a 2008 English-language French action-thriller film directed by Pierre Morel and written by Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen. It stars Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, Leland Orser, Jon Gries, David Warshofsky, Katie Cassidy, Holly Valance and Famke Janssen. In the film, Bryan Mills, an ex-CIA officer, sets to track down his teenage daughter Kim and her best friend Amanda after they are kidnapped by Albanian human trafficking terrorists while travelling in France during a vacation.

<i>Third Person</i> (film) 2013 film

Third Person is a 2013 romantic drama film directed and written by Paul Haggis and starring an ensemble cast consisting of Liam Neeson, Mila Kunis, Adrien Brody, Olivia Wilde, James Franco, Moran Atias, Kim Basinger, and Maria Bello. The film premiered at the 2013 Toronto Film Festival.

<i>Taken</i> (franchise) Series of action films

Taken is a series of English-language French action films, beginning with Taken in 2008, created by producer Luc Besson and American screenwriter Robert Mark Kamen. The dialogue of all three films is primarily English, and all three feature Liam Neeson as Bryan Mills. The first film received mixed reviews from critics but a positive response from audiences with commercial success. The series grossed a combined $929,451,015 worldwide.

<i>The Commuter</i> (film) 2018 film by Jaume Collet-Serra

The Commuter is a 2018 action thriller film directed by Jaume Collet-Serra and written by Byron Willinger, Philip de Blasi and Ryan Engle. The film stars Liam Neeson, Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Jonathan Banks, Florence Pugh, and Sam Neill. It follows a man who is unwittingly recruited into a murder conspiracy after meeting a mysterious woman while on his daily train commute.

<i>Red Nose Day Actually</i> 2017 British romantic comedy short film

Red Nose Day Actually is a 2017 British romantic comedy television short promotional film, following a dozen of the characters from Richard Curtis' Christmas film Love Actually, as part of the fundraising event Red Nose Day 2017. Curtis returns with many of the film's cast members including Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Colin Firth, Andrew Lincoln, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Keira Knightley, Martine McCutcheon, Bill Nighy, Thomas Sangster, Lúcia Moniz, Olivia Olson, Marcus Brigstocke, and Rowan Atkinson.

<i>Ordinary Love</i> (film) 2019 "`UNIQ--templatestyles-00000002-QINU`" film

Ordinary Love is a 2019 romantic drama film, directed by Lisa Barros D'Sa and Glenn Leyburn, from a screenplay by Owen McCafferty. It stars Liam Neeson and Lesley Manville.

<i>Memory</i> (2022 film) 2022 American film by Martin Campbell

Memory is a 2022 American action thriller film starring Liam Neeson as a hitman with early dementia who must go on the run after declining a contract on a young girl. It is directed by Martin Campbell from a screenplay by Dario Scardapane. It is based on the novel De Zaak Alzheimer by Jef Geeraerts and is a remake of the novel's previous adaptation, the Belgian film The Alzheimer Case. The film also stars Guy Pearce, Monica Bellucci, Harold Torres, Taj Atwal and Ray Fearon.

References

  1. "The Other Man (15)". British Board of Film Classification . 21 January 2010. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  2. "The Other Man". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved 24 July 2024.
  3. Staff (18 January 2008). "Liam Neeson Is The Other Man". MovieWeb . Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  4. "The Other Man". Toronto International Film Festival . Archived from the original on 12 September 2008. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  5. "The Other Man Releases". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  6. McCutcheon, David (29 September 2009). "Other Man Steps In". IGN . Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  7. "The Other Man (2009)". Amazon.com . Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  8. Koehler, Robert (8 September 2008). "The Other Man". Variety . Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  9. Brunette, Peter (9 September 2008). "The Other Man". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 25 July 2024 via The Associated Press.
  10. Biancolli, Amy (24 September 2009). "The Other Man". Houston Chronicle . Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  11. "The Other Man". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved 17 July 2024. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  12. "The Other Man". Metacritic . Fandom, Inc. Retrieved 25 July 2024.