IMDb > The End of the Affair (1999)
The End of the Affair
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The End of the Affair (1999) More at IMDbPro »

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The End of the Affair (1999) -- On a rainy London night in 1946, novelist Maurice Bendrix has a chance meeting with Henry Miles, husband of his ex-mistress Sarah...
The End of the Affair (1999) -- US Home Video Trailer from Columbia Tristar
The End of the Affair (1999) -- Virgin.net Movies - Trailer (WMP)

Overview

User Rating:
6.9/10   9,331 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 7% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Neil Jordan
Writers (WGA):
Graham Greene (novel)
Neil Jordan (screenplay)
Contact:
View company contact information for The End of the Affair on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
10 December 1999 (Canada) more
Genre:
Drama | Romance more
Tagline:
The end was just the beginning.
Plot:
On a rainy London night in 1946, novelist Maurice Bendrix has a chance meeting with Henry Miles, husband of his ex-mistress Sarah... more | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 22 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(14 articles)
In Defeat: Defiance.
 (From FilmExperience. 8 September 2009, 6:02 AM, PDT)
Julianne Moore
 (From The AV Club. 27 May 2008, 9:01 PM, PDT)
User Comments:
Beautiful, extraordinary, perfect more (151 total)
US TV Schedule:
Sat. Dec. 511:00 PMPBS   

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)

Ralph Fiennes ... Maurice Bendrix

Stephen Rea ... Henry Miles

Julianne Moore ... Sarah Miles
Heather-Jay Jones ... Henry's Maid (as Heather Jay Jones)
James Bolam ... Mr. Savage
Ian Hart ... Mr. Parkis
Sam Bould ... Lance Parkis (as Samuel Bould)
Cyril Shaps ... Waiter
Penny Morrell ... Bendrix's Landlady
Simon Fisher-Turner ... Doctor Gilbert (as Dr. Simon Turner)

Jason Isaacs ... Father Richard Smythe
Deborah Findlay ... Miss Smythe
Nicholas Hewetson ... Chief Warden
Jack McKenzie ... Chief Engineer
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

MPAA:
Rated R for scenes of strong sexuality.
Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents
Runtime:
102 min
Country:
UK | USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby Digital | SDDS
Certification:
USA:R (certificate #36457) | Iceland:L | Malaysia:18PL | Singapore:R21 | Hong Kong:III | Spain:18 | Argentina:13 | Australia:MA | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Germany:12 | Japan:R-15 | New Zealand:M | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:R(A) | South Korea:18 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:18 | Philippines:R-18
Filming Locations:
Brighton, East Sussex, England, UK more
Company:
Columbia Pictures Corporation more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The film that Maurice and Sarah see is 21 Days (1940). Graham Greene, the author of novel on which The End of the Affair is based, co-wrote the script for 21 Days, although the name of the film they see in the novel is never mentioned. more
Quotes:
Sarah: Are you on a new book?
Maurice Bendrix: Of course.
Sarah: It's not about us, is it? The one you threatened to write?
Maurice Bendrix: A book takes a year to write. It's too hard work for revenge.
Sarah: If only you knew how little you had to revenge.
Maurice Bendrix: I'm joking. We are adults. We knew it had to end some time. Now we can have lunch and talk about your husband.
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in The Benchwarmers (2006) more
Soundtrack:
Life Begins at Oxford Circus more

FAQ

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User Comments

   (Comment on this title)
15 out of 16 people found the following comment useful.
Beautiful, extraordinary, perfect, 21 December 2000
10/10
Author: Drew (andrew7@erols.com) from New Brunswick, NJ

Look at the comments on this site. There's pretty much a perfect split between people who think the film is unrelentingly dull with no redeeming features, and people who think the film is an amazing achievement. I fall into the latter category, and can't for the life of me figure out the former.

This is not an action film. There is no violence. There are no thrills, chills, spills, or anything along those lines. There are three terrific characters, there is an amazingly romantic relationship, and there are superb performances. There is a wonderful director who keeps everything tightly reigned in. There is nothing superfluous in this film. It is perfect.

Maurice Bendrix (Ralph Fiennes) is a novelist who meets beautiful Sarah Miles (Julianne Moore) at a party hosted by her husband Henry (Stephen Rea), whom Bendrix is researching for a book. In no time at all, Sarah and Maurice begin a tempestuous and passionate affair which continues through World War II, until Sarah breaks it off suddenly after an air raid which nearly took Bendrix's life. A chance encounter with Henry two years later brings Bendrix and Sarah together again, and they rekindle their affair as the truth about that air raid is revealed.

A nice enough story on its own. But what makes this film great is the approach that Jordan takes (or perhaps it's not his approach... I'm not familiar with either the novel by Graham Greene or the 1955 film). The opening line of the film is typed by Bendrix onto a clean sheet of paper: "This is a diary of hate." It is only at the end of the film that the viewer understands who it is that Bendrix hates, and why. The story is a dramatization of what Bendrix is writing.

First, he tells us about 1946, when he just happened to see Henry walking in the rain. It's this moment that opens the door for Bendrix, and for us, into his own past. Then Bendrix proceeds to interweave his recent experiences of 1946 with events that transpired during the War. That gives us three distinct time frames for the film, which are introduced to the viewer in reverse chronological order.

Also, it is useful to remember that everything we see on screen (with the exception of several scenes of Bendrix typing away) is a depiction of what Bendrix writes. The entire film is told from Bendrix's point-of -view. This allows us two things: 1) more intimate access to the inner workings of such a fascinating character, and 2) it allows us to enjoy the mystery element of the story much more. If you'll notice, all of the best mysteries tend to have single-character POVs. Look at Chinatown, or The Maltese Falcon. Splitting the POV tends to give audiences information which they should not get before the main character does.

Not that this film is a mystery. There is a mystery in it, which is central to the plot and to Bendrix's situation, but I wouldn't call the film itself a mystery.

What makes this film great is its understatement. It is a very English film, and the characters and performances are all very English. Emotions are fiercely felt but subtly expressed. That makes it highly demanding of its audience, but even more rewarding. It also explains why so many call the film boring. Sarah was described as an ice queen in one review here, and Bendrix was called shallow. Like most reviews (including this one), those comments say a lot more about the people who wrote them then they do about their purported subject. Sarah is intensely passionate, Bendrix is a layered and complex character.

So, not for all tastes, but a brilliant film. Better than any and all of the Best Picture noms of 1999.

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How graphic is this flick? rockerforpunk
Who thinks that Bendrix really died? Hylton-Stark
So Boring... ? aleisterw
Which Cemetery thewickermanuk
Comic relief MonicaCarol
Do you think it something like this could happen today? bittermilk
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