Ah, the audacity of screenwriters! Are we really supposed to believe that Sam Worthington is going to consider having an affair when he's happily married to Keira Knightley? And in turn, is Knightley really going to consider some other guy than Worthington? Okay, maybe. In any case, the trailer for this Toronto closing night film about very-attractive people considering cheating on their very attractive significant others has hit, and unlike many films in this vein that focus on the voyeuristic, mean-spirited thrill, it appears to examine the situation with a well-observed level of sincerity and gravity.
As the trailer's tagline suggests, this story is less about people being awful to each other a la Closer or Your Friends and Neighbors and more about how good-intentioned people navigate temptation. While it never quite picked up strong buzz at Toronto, a number of critics championed it as a refreshing, well-acted and suspenseful relationship drama including our own S.T. Vanairsdale. Melodramas about infidelity aren't particularly rare, but well-done films are.
Also, a note about Sam Worthington: I agree that his staring-at-a-blank-wall brand of acting hasn't fared especially well in huge Blockbusters that demand some amount of charisma from the cast to compensate for the thin story and lack of drama. But after this trailer I think it might have been a brilliant move to thrust his blank, slightly inquisitive face into a high-drama situation and seeing what ambiguities and nuances emerge, intentional or not.
Verdict: Sold.
[Via The Playlist]