We Don't Live Here Anymore

Based on two short stories by Andre Dubus (author of In The Bedroom), We Don't Live Here Anymore is not ideal viewing for sufferers of cold feet before the big wedding day. Set in small-town America, the story presents two married couples — Jack and Terry (Mark Ruffalo and Laura Dern), and Hank and Edith (Peter Krause and Naomi Watts) — who endure loveless marriages in order to experience passion and affection through adultery. The root of the problem chiefly lies in the longstanding affair between Jack and Edith, whose relationship is the worst kept secret in town. Their budding romance eventually pushes their spouses closer together and the circle of friends becomes a heated, incestuous case of wife-swapping destined to ruin at least one of the unions, if not both. The cast could not be any more solid, with each actor delivering honest and captivating performances that deserve some type of recognition, whether it's through an award or even just a nomination. Ruffalo continues to prove that he is easily one of the most talented actors working today, tackling the roles of a financially beaten professor, an emotionally drained and dishonest husband a loving yet casual father. Dern and Watts turn in very different performances that are poignantly equal in their desperation to find passion while keeping their families together. One could take a jab at how empty and demoralising this story is, and how these "adults" overlook their responsibilities as parents with sheer oblivion, but these careless faults of the characters are what make this film so refreshing and daunting. They say if you're about to fly overseas, don't go out and rent Alive. A similar warning should be affixed to We Don't Live Here Anymore: do not watch this film if you're about to walk down the aisle, because there's nothing happy or redeeming about the marriages presented here. Plus: theatrical trailer. (Warner Independent)