A Disappointing Continuation

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

I Found things in this movie that I have experienced myself. I actually found it rather captivating. Unfortunately for some reviewers Arnold Schwarzenegger didn't pop in for a cameo with a sub machine gun and kill the hostiles, but hey! Movies don't please everyone.I don't think this was meant to be a box office hit, but anyone that has been involved in a remotely similar situation, whether or not it is extended family, immediates or close friends can understand the meaning behind it. It is not trying to sell 15 million tickets on the first night of release, it is film, and it is trying to explain a situation, an issue in society.

Nickie Bellow (Tom Cullen) is a volatile drunk. He works as a cab driver and waiter in Toronto. Five years earlier, he suffered a devastating loss back home in the UK. He gets into a confrontation with a customer and saved by Emily (Tatiana Maslany). She seems to be a happy soul and they start a loving relationship. Her mental illness surfaces and they struggle to deal with their troubles.I only watched this for Tatiana. There isn't much here other than good work from the two leads. It's nowhere near enough. The drama isn't there. The filming is indie with some experimental lite. It's not compelling enough other than the skilled cast. They try their best but the material is thin.

This is a story told more as an expression of feelings and mood than as an exposition of a finely crafted story. In other words, this is a showcase for the actors more than the writers. Should you approach this film with a need for any more than a bare-bones plot, you will likely leave disappointed. But not every work depends on intricate story details to work effectively. The Other Half tells the story of a relationship between two rather damaged but nevertheless lovely individuals, Emily (Tatiana Maslany) and Nickie (Tom Cullen). Nickie's damage seems to arise from the loss of a close family member which has traumatized him and his entire family. As in many such cases, he is drawn to someone with problems of her own, in this case Emily, an ebullient artist who suffers from bipolar disorder. For me, The Other Half's strengths lie in making us care about these characters and showing their incredible connection. That Maslany and Cullen are partners in real life inevitably adds to the chemistry between them on screen. The depiction of two young people trying to make a life for themselves starting with almost nothing, attempting the painful process of separating themselves from their parents made me feel nostalgic for a similar time in my own life.Finally, Tatiana Maslany once again proves herself to be one of the best and most versatile actors working today. She disappears into this role making me fully believe in this character. Having seen her in Orphan Black playing upwards of 20 parts, I was amazed to see her in this film as completely distinct from any of those characters and heart-breakingly emotionally vulnerable. Tom Cullen is likewise engaging, though I feel that the screenplay leaves his Nickie a little too opaque. I get that his numbed expression near the beginning is his expression of grief, but I would have preferred a touch more light shining through to validate Emily's falling so hard for him.This is a film that operates at its own pace. It will reward the viewer who is willing to slow down, and and take it in moment by moment.

Would have gotten much more out of this dialogue driven film if the dialogue was more clearly enunciated; with higher clearer volume levels (I had to double my usual volume level just to capture some of the words.) Of course the producers failed to pay the small additional amount for subtitles, nor any Special Features to allow the viewer to explore the film's origins or importance to it's participants. Cheap!Tatiana Maslany's character's mental condition could have been explored more intelligently as well as shown cinematically more clearly. It should have been the focus of the story rather than the other, other half - Tom Cullen's character which turned out to be just as obscure. The film jumps about giving us brief shadowy bits of each person's life to assemble on our own which if lucky sort of works, otherwise good luck. True to her self, Tatiana's acting is the most redeeming part.