Conversations with Other Women DVD Review

by Kam Williams

DVD Features Steamy Tale of Illicit Love Set at Wedding Reception

When sparks fly at the New York City wedding reception between Susie's (Brianna Brown) brother (Aaron Eckhart) and a married bridesmaid (Helena Bonham Carter) who has just flown in from London, none of the guests has any idea that the two are ex-lovers who haven't seen each other since they were college students a dozen years ago. But lust threatens to get the better of them when they secretly rendezvous in her hotel room where they reminisce about the past while simultaneously debating whether or not to consummate their revived passion in a wanton one-night stand.

Their internal agony over the choice is portrayed via the employment of an intriguing cinematic device, namely a split screen which creates opportunities for flashbacks and observations from different perspectives. This unique approach to storytelling is what makes Conversations with Other Women unique, a movie which marks the memorable directorial debut of Hans Canosa.

The Harvard grad devotes virtually all the screen time to his two unnamed lead characters, as played convincingly by Oscar-nominee Helena Bonham Carter (for The Wings of the Dove) and Aaron Eckhart. While such an intense, battle-of-the-sexes drama might represent a departure for Carter, Eckhart has always been associated with such fare, given that his breakout role came in 1997 in the similarly-themed In the Company of Men.

Because the bulk of this intimate flick is a conversation slowly unfolding inside an otherwise unremarkable bedroom, one's appreciation of it turns on the chemistry of the protagonists and the extent to which you enjoy the aforementioned editing technique. Personally, this critic found their interactions unusually compelling, and the plot thoroughly absorbing, with Carter exhibiting a vulnerability she's never evidenced before, while Eckhart, who usually plays a creepy womanizer, displaying a soft side for the first time.

An intriguing deconstruction of a failed relationship, long past the point of no return.

Excellent (4 stars)
Rated R for sex, nudity and profanity.
Running time: 84 minutes
Studio: Hart Sharp Video
DVD Extras: Commentary by director Hans Canosa, interviews with co-stars Helena Bonham Carter and Aaron Eckhart, a deleted scene, a documentary, and more.