End of the Affair, The MPAA Rating: R Entertainment: +3 Content: -2 1/2

On a rainy night in 1946, Maurice Bendrix (Ralph Fiennes) has a chance meeting with Henry Miles (Stephen Rea), the husband of his ex-lover, Sarah (Julianne Moore). Sarah abruptly ended the relationship with Bendrix two years earlier, but this chance meeting rekindles Bendrixs interest in her. When he discovers that Henry suspects Sarah of adultery, Bendrix hires a private detective for Henry. But the detective reports directly to Bendrix, which he uses to catch up on his lost love. As the story progresses, we learn that Sarah ended the relationship suddenly because of a promise she made to God during a bombing raid. Now, she must struggle to keep that promise since Bendrix has reappeared in her life. The End of the Affair is a well-written, well-acted movie that is sure to have great success at the box office. Although, as a romantic drama, it should appeal most to women and couples.

Deep discussions about love and hate are scattered throughout the film. The main characters show both emotions at one time or another, either toward each other or toward God. Bendrix struggles with jealousy, which drives him to learn more of his lost love. Bendrix and Sarah also struggle with issues such as the existence of God and why He allows so much suffering in the world. The discussions are in-depth, emotional, and reflect a tone of reality in the lives of many hurting people. However, the biggest downer is an obscene amount of sexual content, all of which occurs in about the first 30-40 minutes. Once those pass, one would think the film was rated G. However, several sex scenes, four of which are graphic, show female breast nudity. Male rear and female frontal nudity also occurs in one scene. So, while the story is filled with great writing and a balanced handling of important topics, the graphic sexual content makes The End of the Affair another wrong turn.

Preview Reviewer: John Adair
Distributor: Columbia Pictures, 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232