Third Person

Third Person is a 2013 drama film directed by Paul Haggis and starring Liam Neeson, Mila Kunis, and Adrien Brody. The movie follows three different interlocking stories revolving around three couples, set in three different cities.

The first story takes place in Paris, where a Pulitzer Prize-winning author named Michael (Neeson) is writing a new book in his hotel room. He is working through a contentious relationship with his ex-wife, Elaine (Kim Basinger). Their conversation reveals a tangled history of love and betrayal, and Michael is tormented by guilt over their volatile past. Meanwhile, he begins to develop a relationship with a young prostitute named Anna (Olivia Wilde), who has been hired to wear his wife's lingerie.

The second story is set in Rome and revolves around a young and beautiful American named Julia (Kunis), who is fighting for custody of her son against her estranged husband, Rick (James Franco). Julia is a former actress who has fallen on hard times and has started working as a maid to make ends meet. She desperately wants to be reunited with her son and hires a somewhat disreputable lawyer named Leiva (Brody) to help her. However, Leiva quickly becomes entangled in Julia's troubles and finds himself enmeshed in a complex legal battle that he may not be able to win.

The final story takes place in New York City, and centers around a successful artist named Scott (Adrien Brody) who is trying to reconnect with his estranged wife (Moran Atias). He is a man who seems to have it all, but who is haunted by his past mistakes. In this story, we see Scott grapple with his own demons as he tries to win back the love of his life.

All of these stories are woven together with a deft hand, exploring themes of love, betrayal, forgiveness, and redemption. Haggis does an excellent job of teasing out the various connections between the characters, using the setting of the three cities to create a sense of space and place that enhances the narrative.

The acting in Third Person is also top-notch, with Neeson, Kunis, and Brody all delivering standout performances. In particular, Wilde's portrayal of the troubled Anna is a highlight of the film, bringing depth and complexity to a character that could have easily been one-dimensional. Basinger's brief but impactful appearance as Elaine provides a strong emotional anchor for the movie, and Franco's turn as Julia's ex-husband is suitably menacing.

One of the most interesting things about Third Person is the way that Haggis challenges the viewer's assumptions about the narrative. Each of the three stories is presented in a non-linear fashion, with scenes from different points in time juxtaposed together. This creates a sense of disorientation at first, but ultimately deepens the emotional stakes of the story by revealing key pieces of information slowly and gradually.

Overall, Third Person is a thought-provoking and emotionally resonant movie that will stay with viewers long after the credits roll. Though it deals with heavy themes, it is also a beautifully shot film, with Haggis employing stunning cinematography to capture the unique beauty of each of the three cities featured in the movie. This is a must-see for fans of character-driven dramas, and is an excellent showcase for the talents of its talented cast and crew.