Retrospective: Cleopatra's Second Husband (1998)
[3.0/4.0]
In any abusive relationship, the two involved parties usually fall into the clearly defined roles of abuser and victim. These are most commonly associated with the abusive husband/abused wife scenario, but aspects of these archetypes can be found in any human relationship where one person exerts control over the other. This film is a study of the dynamics of such a relationship.
The story begins with Robert Marrs (Paul Hipp) and his wife, Hallie (Bitty Schram), leaving for a vacation. Needing someone to look after their house while they are away, they decide to let friend-of-a-friend Zack (Boyd Kestner) housesit, along with his girlfriend, Sophie (Radha Mitchell). The Marrs' relationship is not outwardly fragile, but it has grown strained, exacerbated by the couple's inability to conceive a child.
Upon returning early from the vacation, Robert and Hallie discover that although the house has been adequately taken care of, their guests have not been completely conscientious. For example, the tropical fish have died from lack of care. Although Robert wants to get rid of Zack and Sophie, Hallie is more forgiving, and she is sympathetic to their inability to find a place to live (they have just moved to the area), so she invites them to stay with them temporarily. She quickly regrets the decision as their intrusions provide the catalyst that deteriorates her relationship with Robert. When Hallie leaves, Robert allows Zack and Sophie to remain. Eventually, the relationship between Robert and Zack slowly evolves into victim and abuser, respectively. The decay is slow, and by the time that Zack realizes what has happened, he has no power to change the relationship.
The story is necessarily disturbing, as the viewer helplessly watches Robert slowly sink into the morass of Zach's manipulative personality. By intentionally adopting a pace that is slow and a mood that is dark, the film incarcerates the viewer in Robert's shrinking world. Robert would not have chosen to enter the psychological prison that his relationship with Zach becomes, but he is oblivious to the slow progression.
The acting performances must be noted for their skillful execution. The role of Zach required Kestner to expose the personality of the character over time, and he adeptly executes this without allowing Zach to balloon into a caricature. The role of Robert entails very subtle challenges. Hipp needed to communicate the laconic Robert's reasons for entering the relationship with Zach. With the exception of the garrulous Hallie, the characters are expressed in an atmosphere of minimal dialog. Without the benefit of having the characters verbally express their inner thoughts, the actors need to have them communicated through physical expression. This also indicates that writer and director Jon Reiss was willing to work hard to express the story without taking convenient shortcuts. Add in the fact that Reiss needed to have the audience relate to characters that are not particularly likeable, and it is clear that the film was carefully constructed and proficiently executed.
The meaning of the title is not apparent in the film's story, and one must credit the director for not spoonfeeding it to the viewers. It is a reference to the relationship between Cleopatra and Marc Anthony in the 1963 Hollywood film production Cleopatra.
Recommended. The film is a noir psychological thriller. It is engaging enough to keep viewers involved in the slow progression of the story. The depiction of degradation in the abusive relationship is disturbing, but because of director Jon Reiss' focus, they do not feel licentious.
(c) 2000 Murali Krishnan The Art House Squatter http://ArtHouseSquatter.com
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