It would be difficult to fit "Separate Lies" into a specific genre, considering its anticlimactic nature.
The movie could be called a murder mystery, but the mystery was solved within the first half hour.
"Separate Lies" could be squeezed into the "thriller" category. However, the murder is devoid of suspense. No one was shot or stabbed and there wasn't a note by the body threatening to kill again.
The movie could be a sexy romance with an affair between the two main characters, except that there aren't any heated love scenes and the wife admits that she's having an affair to her husband within the first half hour of the movie.
The only genre fitting for a movie too stiff for romance and not thrilling enough for a murder mystery is a boring British drama.
The movie could have been over within a half hour. The mystery is solved and the affair is out in the open. Sadly, director Julian Fellowes decided to let the movie drag for another hour.
James (Tom Wilkinson of "Batman Begins"), a wealthy, stiff solicitor in London, is content with his life. His wife Anne (Emily Watson of "Red Dragon") waits on him hand and foot. She makes him dinner, brings him dessert and cleans up after him. They have two beautiful houses together - one in London and the other in the rural countryside.
While residing in their country home, Anne is introduced to the handsome and carefree Bill Bule (Rupert Everett of "Stage Beauty"), a lawyer who just divorced his wife. Anne is immediately and obviously taken with Bill.
It isn't surprising when Anne begins sleeping with Bill, especially after having to tolerate such a demanding older husband. Her attire consists of many low-cut blouses that show the majority of her cleavage, a risqu?(c) move for the wife of a solicitor.
Her wardrobe symbolizes her risky behavior and foreshadows her desire to be unfaithful.
Anne's affair with Bill is not kept a secret from her husband or anyone else in the neighborhood. Her husband gives her the responsibility to decide between the men, and Anne chooses to have her cake and eat it too.
After sleeping with Bill right under her husband's nose, she decides to spend a few weeks with him in London. Their time in London is cut short after a fight and Anne comes back to stay with James. Once Anne is tired of picking up after James, she stays with Bill again.
Meanwhile, a hit-and-run conspiracy of a local man creates even more conflict within the love triangle. The need to keep the details of the murder secret is a must for reasons of reputation and to avoid hurting the family.
The title "Separate Lies" is unjust. The two lies to which the title refers are the affair and the murder. It is true that these instances are two completely different entities within the plot. However, the affair is not a lie, as it is known by the entire neighborhood from the beginning.
The title should be "Unpleasant Necessities" because the lie is so lame and easy to cover up. It would simply be unpleasant to know the truth, but it is still necessary to not tell the police.
A thick plot, a heated affair and a murder that needs more lies to cover it up would make for an exciting and provocative movie. While the movie hints at excitement, it lacks the twists and climaxes to bring it to life.
Photo: Courtesy of Matthew Messina, from the RMBERS' Instagram page
