'THE OTHER WOMAN': Three Stars (Out of Five)
Natalie Portman gives another award worthy performance in this gloomy and depressing tearjerker. Portman plays 'the other woman' of the title, a young woman who has an affair with her boss, a married man and father, and becomes pregnant. She loses the child and then has to cope with the tragedy as well as the damage she's done to the other family. It's based on a book titled 'Love and Other Impossible Pursuits' by Ayelet Waldman. The film is written and directed by Don Roos (who also performed both duties on such films as 'THE OPPOSITE OF SEX', 'BOUNCE' and 'HAPPY ENDINGS'). Portman's performance is the highlight of the film, which is well made to a certain extent but the material is far too dark and somewhat morally depraved.
Portman plays Emilia Greenleaf, a young lawyer who falls for her boss Jack Woolf (Scott Cohen). Jack is married with a son named William (Charlie Tahan) but this doesn't prevent the two from having an affair. Jack tells Emilia he no longer loves his wife Carolyne (Lisa Kudrow) but he's unwilling to leave her, until Emilia becomes pregnant. The two start a new life together but their baby dies from SIDS just three days after it's born. Carolyne is furious with Emilia for wreaking her happy home and turns William against her as well, which only makes things harder on Emilia.
The movie is pretty bold for making a cheating mistress it's heroine but this is also it's biggest downfall. As much as the film tries to make you sympathize with Emilia her actions throughout are just a little too unforgivable. Portman's performance is outstanding and she does make a great troubled and flawed central character but the movie's intent of trying to force her on the viewer as the hero just doesn't work. The subject matter is also far too depressing and played out with very little hope or happiness. It's definitely a hard film to watch, with no real likable characters to root for, but it is believable and Portman's acting is once again something to watch in awe.
Watch our review show 'MOVIE TALK' at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWeZHJaLfc8
Natalie Portman gives another award worthy performance in this gloomy and depressing tearjerker. Portman plays 'the other woman' of the title, a young woman who has an affair with her boss, a married man and father, and becomes pregnant. She loses the child and then has to cope with the tragedy as well as the damage she's done to the other family. It's based on a book titled 'Love and Other Impossible Pursuits' by Ayelet Waldman. The film is written and directed by Don Roos (who also performed both duties on such films as 'THE OPPOSITE OF SEX', 'BOUNCE' and 'HAPPY ENDINGS'). Portman's performance is the highlight of the film, which is well made to a certain extent but the material is far too dark and somewhat morally depraved.
Portman plays Emilia Greenleaf, a young lawyer who falls for her boss Jack Woolf (Scott Cohen). Jack is married with a son named William (Charlie Tahan) but this doesn't prevent the two from having an affair. Jack tells Emilia he no longer loves his wife Carolyne (Lisa Kudrow) but he's unwilling to leave her, until Emilia becomes pregnant. The two start a new life together but their baby dies from SIDS just three days after it's born. Carolyne is furious with Emilia for wreaking her happy home and turns William against her as well, which only makes things harder on Emilia.
The movie is pretty bold for making a cheating mistress it's heroine but this is also it's biggest downfall. As much as the film tries to make you sympathize with Emilia her actions throughout are just a little too unforgivable. Portman's performance is outstanding and she does make a great troubled and flawed central character but the movie's intent of trying to force her on the viewer as the hero just doesn't work. The subject matter is also far too depressing and played out with very little hope or happiness. It's definitely a hard film to watch, with no real likable characters to root for, but it is believable and Portman's acting is once again something to watch in awe.
Watch our review show 'MOVIE TALK' at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWeZHJaLfc8