wanted to strangle all three of them before the film finished.
James Manning (Tom Wilkinson) is a nice, older man, an attorney of some sort, perhaps dealing with corporate law - he seemed to have a lot of meetings about various projects.
His wife, Anne Manning (Emily Watson)seems to be somewhat younger than him, although she, too, is middle-aged.
They are a childless couple, living in a huge manor house in the English countryside.
Life seems perfect for them. James thinks they are happy, but his world is about to fall shatteringly apart as one betrayal after another is revealed by his wife.
Anne Manning is a selfish piece of work and why James kept putting up with her and her lover,(the trashy, worthless Bill Bule--played by Rupert Everett), time and time again I don't know. James Manning must have been born a saint, or perhaps he wasn't human, he was an angel descended from heaven! Eventually he practically apologizes to Anne for not understanding sooner and stepping completely aside so she could enjoy her sordid affair guilt-free.
I don't advocate violence, but in this instance I think I would have greatly enjoyed it if James had at least given Anne a good solid kick in the backside.
However, I have to acknowledge the acting, dialog, directing and storyline are all extremely well done and, surprising for today's films--it even has a clearly defined plot. The ending is somewhat non-conclusive, but considering how things had been going, one can almost guess what dumb, good-hearted, ol' James will do, yet again!
6 stars out of 10
James Manning (Tom Wilkinson) is a nice, older man, an attorney of some sort, perhaps dealing with corporate law - he seemed to have a lot of meetings about various projects.
His wife, Anne Manning (Emily Watson)seems to be somewhat younger than him, although she, too, is middle-aged.
They are a childless couple, living in a huge manor house in the English countryside.
Life seems perfect for them. James thinks they are happy, but his world is about to fall shatteringly apart as one betrayal after another is revealed by his wife.
Anne Manning is a selfish piece of work and why James kept putting up with her and her lover,(the trashy, worthless Bill Bule--played by Rupert Everett), time and time again I don't know. James Manning must have been born a saint, or perhaps he wasn't human, he was an angel descended from heaven! Eventually he practically apologizes to Anne for not understanding sooner and stepping completely aside so she could enjoy her sordid affair guilt-free.
I don't advocate violence, but in this instance I think I would have greatly enjoyed it if James had at least given Anne a good solid kick in the backside.
However, I have to acknowledge the acting, dialog, directing and storyline are all extremely well done and, surprising for today's films--it even has a clearly defined plot. The ending is somewhat non-conclusive, but considering how things had been going, one can almost guess what dumb, good-hearted, ol' James will do, yet again!
6 stars out of 10