The Affair

Both the husband's and Viggo's psycho babble about meteors and theplanets was laughable. "In wine there is truth" Did the writers reallylisten to these lines?

It was not ever explained how a woman with no job always had money, thesame thing for Viggo. He didn't work, yet lived near the ocean, had aconstant supply of marijuana and other drugs, and always had money togo out to the clubs.

When we saw Starr's penis painting and then when she started herchanting, we were rolling in laughter.

It would have benefited from the inclusion of explicit sex and beingmarketed as an adult feature and we would have maybe appreciated itbetter after a few dozen bong hits and bottles of wine.

2) Belgian Carl Colpaert has a solid reputation as the founder ofCINEVILLE Releasing, as a producer of some very fine small films (Mrs.Palfrey at the Claremont, Where Eskimos Live, Surviving Eden,Hurlyburly, etc) and has directed and written a few less interestingones. This film THE AFFAIR (originally titled TOPANGA) tries hard to bea European flavored examination of relationships, but for this viewerit falls short not only in story (scripted by Colpaert and LisaLarrivee) and in a fuzzy cast of TV actors, but also in the directorialstance of being in control of a story that needs a lot of attention.

Jean (Kelsey Oldershaw) is a bored housewife living in a designer housewith her architect husband Paul (Horacio Le Don), a man of success whois so self-centered and controlling that he forgets his relationshipobligations to his wife. Jean has residual scars from a traumaticchildhood experience and her needs go beyond the wifely role, searchingfor some degree of excitement, passion and fulfillment not available inher marriage. At a local dance club she meets Viggo (Andy Mackenzie), abohemian passionate, live for the moment guy who sweeps Jean off herfeet in an affair that produces disaster in her marriage. The storyconcentrates on the intricacies of this love triangle, offeringalternative ways to approach love, needs, and responsibilities.

The notion is solid (if quite over used) and there are aspects of thefilm that suffuse the atmosphere with tension and artsy techniques. Butin the end the story and the actors elude our concern and we are leftfeeling like window peeping voyeurs, wondering why we are sneaking apeek. Grady Harp

3) I was fortunate enough to catch a screening of this film, which I heardhad just garnered several top awards at the Worldfest in Houston. I wasparticularly anxious to see the movie after learning it was helmed byCarl Colpaert, a talented producer/director originally from Belgium whohas had the unique "Midas Touch" of discovering unknown talent andgiving them their first big break. In fact, Kevin Spacey, Salma Hayek,Vincent D’Onofrio, and Renee Zellweger are just some of the "unknowns"who got their start in Colpaert’s films and went on to stellar careers.THE AFFAIR is a very well-crafted dramatic love story, reminiscent ofthe simpler love story films of the 60s and 70s. Parts of the filmwhich take place on the road reminded me of Stanley Donen’s classic1967 film TWO FOR THE ROAD, with Audrey Hepburn and Albert Finney. Thebeautiful Kelsey Oldershaw plays Jean, a young woman who constantlyseeks an ever-elusive fulfillment in her life, largely due to atraumatic childhood experience. She is married to Paul, played by thetalented Horatio Ledon, who is overbearing, authoritative, and seeks tocontrol every facet of Jean’s life. Jean finds a breath of fresh air ina hot affair with Viggo, played by Andy Mackenzie, a product ofTopanga’s Bohemian set who is the exact opposite of Paul. Viggo is likea wild stallion, untamed, unfettered, and eager to fill the gaping voidin Jean’s life. The film offers a quite surprising, non-traditionalview of how Paul and Jean deal with this, for lack of a better term,bizarre love triangle. The film was shot beautifully on HD, with aclassy fade-to-black cut after each sequence, to give one the sense ofwatching individual vignettes, Chekovian "slices of life," strungtogether in a linear yet loose and free fashion. With their excellentperformances, Oldershaw, Ledon, and Mackenzie definitely have a greatshot at joining the pantheon of Hollywood stars that Colpaert has hadthe knack of discovering in the past.

4) The film is a fresh breeze of 70th-style realism in our screen. Themagnificence of the film is that it's deeply philosophical withoutbeing snobbish. In a few words the film shows how craziness ofmodern-day life destroys families without putting blame on eithergender, but instead emphasizes on the affect of the society onrelationships probably best described in the monologue of the"Frenchy". But the film perfectly avoids the diseases of manyphilosophical films: it does not fall into a "statement" movie shovingthe ideas down your throat nor does it "artistically" over-complicatesthem. What makes it great that the film walks the fine line neverfalling into either of these categories. It's perfectly dynamic,watchable and enjoyable without compromising integrity. Did we becometoo dumbed down by media and rotten with all the aliens, vampires andviolence garbage that we cannot watch a "normal" story anymore? I haveno other explanation how this terrific film that received 4 goldenawards went unnoticed by public and is even out if print now. Some usercomments here confirm my point. What probably does not add to itspopularity is that the film is rather gloomy and does not have a happyending, it's simply truthful. On top of great plot and directing thefilm has an outstanding cast which is also probably out of the favor ofthe media. I have no other explanation why I never heard of theseterrific actors. First and foremost is of course Kelsey Oldershaw whoseemed to have no limits. She can show such a variety of emotions justby the expression on her face – it's amazing. Another great actor isAndy Mackenzie who has a wide palette of his own. My overall score:perfect 10.

5) Besides the Hollywood star-power I found this very grown up story greatto watch and amazingly true to a society that needs to accept the powerof passion and love. A commitment to finding an inner truth in a womenof the present day! Kelsey Oldershaw convinces and finds great companywith Andy McKenzie and Horatio LeDon. The look of this movie is soperfect and the mood is so unpretentious as I did not see it in a longtime since the best relationship dramas from France at their peak inthe early 70- s. The whole environment is so very true to thecontemporary situation in a troubled or maybe every relationship asquestions and situations of truth and motivation come to a surface andfind adults often unprepared. A very beautiful film that does stillleave a lot of room to enjoy and listen and reflect into personalexperiences.