*SPOILERS* I thought the film was a great, subtle, adult movie about relationships. I disagree that a cocoon of wealth and privilege leads the main couple to stray. There\’s plenty of cheating going on across all social strata in America, and the reasons don\’t differ that widely from couple to couple. Jo identifies the craving for a newness as a potential reason to cheat, something everyone experiences from time to time once they\’ve settled down. Jo\’s issue with Michael is that he\’s \”gone out of his way to hide\” his attraction to Laura, which makes the attraction threatening to the intimacy they have together. Why hide something if there\’s nothing to it? Society\’s constant barrage of romantic ideals tell us that desiring someone outside of marriage is shameful and wrong, never mind that it\’s natural.

As for Michael, his wife doesn\’t spend time putting make-up on for an evening out with him anymore. Instead, she throws on a sweater, a bit of mascara in the car, hair in a ponytail. It\’s very telling that she spends a great deal of time and thought dressing for her evening out with Alex. These are the ruts that people find themselves in once they\’ve been together for years. It takes work to maintain growth and newness within a relationship, and if you\’re unaware that work is necessary, you can lose the sexual connection with the person you see every day. I thought the film captured that beautifully — two people who love each other, are best friends, but have lost their spark and are therefore vulnerable to losing everything they have together. Interestingly, it\’s Michael who is least aware of this vulnerability, and he\’s the one who cheats.

ryan