Reviewer's Bias*
Loves: Good independent films
Likes: Foreign films, Rupert Everett
Dislikes: The British class system
Hates: Adultery

The Movie
The most exciting part of Separate Lies happens just minutes into the film, before the movie settles down to spend 80 or so minutes exploring the ramifications of what happened in those first few minutes. If you read that to mean the rest of the film is boring, then it's entirely possible that this film is not for you. Lord knows I had to struggle at times to pay attention. On the other hand, as the audiences for quiet period pieces and other explosion-free films prove, there are quite a few people who enjoy a character study or two.

In this case, it's three. James (Tom Wilkinson, Batman Begins) and Anne Manning (Emily Watson, Punch-Drunk Love) are a May-December couple who live life together happily, though not really romantically. James, a lawyer, is a bit controlling, while Anne, a housewife, accepts her place in taking care of James, who though a bit aloof and businesslike, truly cares for her. The problem is, so does Bill.

Bill (Rupert Everett, My Best Friend's Wedding) is one of those carefree socialites who lives life without worry, since he doesn't have to work or do any of those tiresome things the rest of society is busy with. Everett's portrayal makes ever breathing seem like a chore. Besides being a playboy, he's a neighbor of the Mannings. The freedom he enjoys is rather attractive to Anne, and causes a rift to develop between James and Anne that is entirely predictable to anyone reading this review.

In most movies, this would be enough plot to fill 90 minutes, as the three people sort through their emotions and move on with their lives. But in the hands of Oscar-winning writer Julian Fellowes, who does double duty here as scribe and director, the marital strife is just an appetizer. All three characters have an involvement of some sort with the event at the start of the film, and their personal relationships only complicate matters as they try to extricate themselves from their messes.

To be sure, the film plays out like the stuffy British drama it looks like, but the actors get serious credit for imbuing their characters with truth, especially Wilkinson, whose pain is palpable. All three are solid performers, which is what makes the film work, as it could have been a throwaway TV drama without them, though one with a very good script. Instead, its worst sin is being a slow-paced, but well-built character-driven tale.

The DVD
Fox presents Separate Lives on a flipper disc in a standard, insert-less keepcase. The flipper DVD features the film in full-frame format on one side, and 1.85:1 widescreen format on the other. I can't help but think anyone watching this movie is a widescreen fan, but at least Fox didn't go full-screen only. The disc features a nice animated anamorphic widescreen main menu, with a choice of the film, scene selections, languages and special features. The language options include English Dolby Digital 5.1 and French and Spanish 2.0 tracks, English and Spanish subtitles and English closed captioning, while the scene selection menus include still previews and titles for each chapter.

The Quality
The anamorphic widescreen transfer looks tremendous, with excellent color that's consistently good through several palette changes. The sets are beautifully constructed, and the DVD's level of detail lets them shine, without any interference from dirt, damage or any digital artifacts. All dramatic films should look this good.

The audio doesn't impress the way the video does, despite a Dolby Digital 5.1 mix, but that's simply because the film is low-key aurally, made up mainly of softly-spoken dialogue. Every line delivery is crisp and clean, which is just how you'd want it to be, while sound effects come across clearly. There's nothing very dynamic about the soundtrack, but that's to be expected.

The Extras
It's not indicated on the packaging, but the main extra here is an excellent feature-length audio commentary by Fellowes, who, after this commentary and his track for Gosford Park, sits among the top five DVD commentators ever. A highly-intelligent man with a keen wit, Fellowes never is boring as he explains every nook and cranny of his film. Few commentators are able to be so detailed, yet so entertaining. To be truthful, I enjoyed the commentary much more than the actual movie.

The trailer for the film is also included, and it's a good one, as it builds the appropriate mood, but keeps some secrets from viewers.

The Bottom Line
Mechanically, this film is very solid, featuring a well-shot, well-constructed script acted out by a trio of top-notch thespians. One's enjoyment though will rely heavily on taste, as the key aspect of this film's target audience is a good amount of patience. The DVD presents the film in excellent quality, with a wonderful audio commentary that's certain to delight anyone who gives it a listen. I have to this film a Recommended mark for the quality of the extras and film, but most viewers will find it to be only worth a rental.

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*The Reviewer's Bias section is an attempt to help readers use the review to its best effect. By knowing where the reviewer's biases lie on the film's subject matter, one can read the review with the right mindset.