This movie was much the same as watching someone paint a house.It was such a disappointment.So many periods of just nothing -I was anticipating seeing Debra Winger on screen again but this role was just beneath her!

A liberal's concept of a good romance drama take on the complex ways of life, love, passion and marriage.no it is actually a liberal's dysfunctional marriage

A married couple, both having extramarital affairs, so what's new? Nothing! The couple actually seem quite compatible and happy and successful and care for each other and as mundane normal as film can make a person. So they both have affairs, get caught and end up with their new love interests. Really boring to the point of ff through much of it. You would think the producers would have at least injected actual nudity and sex, but about all you get is some weak sound effects and lots of people sleeping in their night time clothing. Most put to sleepy of all was the droning music background that seemed limited to one instrument within a limited frequency range. Music for people committed to an institution to sedate them. A small twist at the end dealing with are now separated couple having an affair with guess who that was artificial and not at all believable - just stupid.

Hollywood loves to use a recurring theme when it comes to marriage. They seem to have this idea that the best way to solve marriage problems is to have an affair. I'm not sure if it's because there are so many failed marriages there or that there is so much rampant cheating going on there or what. But every so often a movie comes out pushing this idea. THE LOVERS is the newest example.Michael and Mary (Tracy Letts and Debra Winger) are a middle aged couple for whom the spark has gone out of their relationship. Each day is filled with the same old same old, work, home, dinner, bed. Romance is a thing of the past. But they have something in common they aren't aware of. Both of them are having affairs.Much of what I just wrote is assumed as we go along. The first moments of the film are of each individual with the person they are having an affair with. Both are promising that they are going to leave the other spouse but want to put it off until they have a chance to talk with their son who is coming home for the weekend from college.Both are having affairs with what appear to be much younger people. In Michael's case it is a young ballet dancer. Of all the characters in the film she is the most irrational and explosive. She seems to have fits of rage that made me as a viewer wonder where the attraction came from unless it was all physical.In the case of Mary her lover is a writer. While we witness to two romantically involved we also get to see that side of him. He discusses his writer's block with her and later in the film is reading something he's just written. Her attraction seems both physical and mental.But something happens. One morning before their son comes home they wake in bed together, in that semi-groggy state of mind we all do in the morning, and without realizing just who they are with they kiss. Their eyes open, they both jump out of bed and begin getting ready for work. But as they do so they find themselves drawn to one another and jump back in bed.Over the next few days both are dealing with this new sense of vigor and attraction to one another. At the same time their lovers are feeling ignored and threatened. It's not that they are aware of what has happened but they notice something is different. Each continues to put pressure on Michael and Mary to end it and be with them instead.The story comes to a head when their son gets home. He's warned his girlfriend to expect them not to be a very caring couple. When he sees them together this way he isn't sure what to expect. Could it be that things have been straightened out? Could they have rediscovered what it was that drew them together in the first place? And will they stay or go? The movie is entertaining and well-made on all fronts. It's well shot and directed, moves along at a steady pace and never seems to drag. The acting is more believable than one would expect. It's good to see Winger back in front of a camera again since her output has decreased over the past 8 years or so. Perhaps the only thing that felt intrusive in the film was the music, odd since there is a whole segment in the extras about scoring this film. It's like the classic old movie melodramas where the tones rise and fall with the emotions on display. At time that got in the way of things for me.The only other thing that bothered me was the fact that both seem to work at jobs where it's nothing for them to leave for hours at a time to have affairs or not come home on time on a near daily basis. Not only that their respective lovers have no problem showing up where they work with no reason to do so other than to see them. For me that made parts of the movie unbelievable.Still, it is an interesting movie and will hold your attention start to finish. There are moments that might bring a tear to your eye and moments that will make you laugh out loud. And for many it will make you wonder if you don't pay enough attention to your spouse and show them that even after all this time there is still love between the two of you. With any luck that will be the thing that sticks with most viewers instead of thinking that sleeping with someone else will help your marriage.