I must admit, I went to see this movie expecting the Casablanca of the 1990's. Almost needless to say, I didn't get that. What I did get was a rather contrived plot whose ending was obvious from second one, a few interesting twists and the strangest and most random emphasis on God I've ever seen. And yet, despite the trite plot line, I liked it. It was intricately directed by Neil Jordan. He reveals his characters to you as if removing endless veils of gauze from their motives. From there the actors were required to deliver where the director could not. Stephen Rea does a nice job in his role, but he is rather unremarkable. Ralph Fiennes is to WWII melodrama what his brother Joseph is to Elizabethan tights. He does a good job, but it's still the same character. And so the rest of the film's merit falls onto the shoulders of Julianne Moore and she carries it masterfully. It seems no matter what this woman does she not only succeeds, she excels. Her performance is artful and understated, simply beautiful. She almost makes up for the plot... but not quite.
Review of The End of the Affair
