THE END OF THE AFFAIR
Author Maurice Bendrix (Fiennes) is continually aware of the little accidents
of fate one encounters in life. "Writers notice everything," he
says. This is brought up by his chance meeting with an old friend, Henry
Miles (Stephen Rea) in 1946, two years after his affair with Henry's wife
Sarah (Moore). Although Henry is unaware of the previous dalliance, he confides
to Maurice that he now suspects Sarah of infidelity. After the two men chat
a while, Henry dismisses the idea and is ashamed of his distrust, but Maurice's
obsession with his former lover is resurrected. He decides to hire a private
investigator (Ian Hart) to follow Sarah and find out what he can. Among
the dark secrets he probes is the reason she was forced to cut off their
passionate relationship.
This film is a deep study into the many facets of the human condition, whether they be unconditional love, blinding jealousy, the dependence on a supreme being, or the frailty of the body. It's beautifully filmed, with rain constantly pelting the subjects' present just as the German bombs pelted their past. The irony of the bombings is a clever twist; the preference of love over life is demonstrated on several occasions. The slow pace and dark appearance set the mood, but as a result the film drags almost to a standstill at times. Still, beautiful scenery (Roger Pratt's cinematography has also been nominated) and fine work by its leading players keep it near the top of the list of 1999's best films. ****½