It could have had more layers and it left me feeling disappointed that opportunities to do so were not taken. In the end, it lacked intensity and ended up being just a cliche story with no surprises.
infidelity based on novel or book writing teacher student relationship college student college professor
Plot summary
A well-respected professor who is a celebrated novelist and loving husband loses himself when he becomes obsessed with an ambitious and talented student.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
July 11, 2018 at 07:07 PM
Director
Top cast
Tech specs
720p.BLU 1080p.BLUMovie Reviews
Missed opportunity
Intelligent. Mr Tucci is impeccable
Surprised at the low score on Rotten Tomatoes and by other "reputable" critics. They must have left before Tucci's final speech at the "sexual harassment" hearing. He summed up all the nuance and complexity of the central relationship and the loss of a chunk of his life at a middling college with mediocre PC self-righteous faculty. The only aspect I found unconvincing in the film was the cliche reaction of the wife and daughter: the wronged females, without any exploration of issues of marital and filial loyalty, generosity, acceptance, even the possibility of forgiveness.The rest was beautifully balanced, fleshing out quite satisfactorily the ambiguity of the central relationship. Both parties are responsible and there's no simplistic perspective of the male as sexual predator. On the contrary, the young woman is far more aggressive in using her charms as a means to fulfill her ulterior motives. As a woman, I applaud this narrative and dramatic choice. Most of the time, sexual harassment is a two way thing, females often being more deadlier than the male. The young actress did a beautiful job, but the movie was carried single handedly by Mr Tucci. There's no character he doesn't bring subtlety and nuance to. He's absolutely pitch perfect here as the conflicted, flawed but self-aware central character. His portrayal elicits oodles of sympathy from the viewer. A look, a twitch of the eyebrow, a verbal quip: Tucci is a master of this. I could watch him on a loop forever. Incredibly satisfying viewing.
Acquiescence
1. The portrayal of the post secondary "academic community" (in quotes for a reason) was so stereotypically artificial from the parties to the discourse to the mannerisms that it provoked me to write this wearing tweed; smoking a pipe & drinking from my Bordeaux glass or is it a Burgundy glass? 2. The abrasive part of the teaching style was simply made up as were the constant "air quotes". 3. Some viewers condemned the prof for taking advantage - get human & real! 4. The family turmoil from an affair, and the spurious academic committee review seemed too "made-up". 5. Ending had a cheap cute cleverness that fit w/the rest of the movie.