Director: Paul Haggis
Cast: Liam Neeson, Olivia Wilde, Adrien Brody, Maria Bello, James Franco, Mila Kunis
Certificate: 15
Running Time: 213 minutes
Synopsis: THIRD PERSON tells the interconnecting stories of three couple’s relationships; (Neeson) an award-winning author has just left his wife and is shacked up with his young adulteress (Wilde), (Brody) finds himself involved in a kidnapping drama in Italy, whilst (Kunis) is an ex-soap actress trying to regain custody of her young son.
Those expecting a sweet and sugary romantic drama obviously don’t know Paul Hagis. The mind behind CRASH and MILLION DOLLAR BABY obviously wasn’t going to produce anything that the audience could just ‘switch off and watch’. THIRD PERSON instead challenges the viewer to digest a multitude of tough topics.
What helps THIRD PERSON stand out from the rest is the way in which the ensemble cast all rally together to produce something magical. Each member gives a solid turn with most giving career-defining performances; Olivia Wide and Mila Kunis in particular stand-out. Kunis is a long way from her comedy roots and actually gets the chance to show that she has range far beyond just being a pretty face or the butt of jokes. It is Wilde though who completely steals the film, she may have had a blink-and-you-missed-her role in RUSH, but THIRD PERSON gives her the chance to truly shine. She plays Anna, a determined young journalist who is sleeping with Neeson’s Michael, and thoroughly enjoying the role of the other woman. Her character has the most developed story-arc going from brattish bitch to vulnerable romantic, she snipes and smoulders her way through the film, and hides potentially one of the more shocking secrets.
We open with a whirlwind whose-who of the film, seeing brief snapshots of the characters with whom we are going to get intimate with for the next couple of hours. After these introductions we get straight down to business, and just when you think you’ve got the film pegged, it zigs where you expect a zag, and we take a completely different direction, the whole tone of the story changing. The last act begins with a gut-punching character reveal that will leave you reeling and questioning if you just heard/saw what you think you did. THIRD PERSON then spirals down a brutally dark path towards the story’s conclusion.
It may have take almost a year to reach our shores but THIRD PERSON is well worth the wait.
[usr=4] THIRD PERSON opens in cinemas on Friday 14th November.
