Third Person

Third Person is a complex, intertwining 2013 drama directed and written by Paul Haggis, the eminent filmmaker behind Crash, Million Dollar Baby, and Casino Royale. Playing out across three intricately connected tales set in three different cities: New York, Paris, and Rome, Haggis uses the prism of personal relationships to explore the depths and intricacies of love, guilt, trust, and loss.

In this film, an impressive cast of esteemed Hollywood actors, including Liam Neeson, Mila Kunis, Adrien Brody, Olivia Wilde, Maria Bello, and James Franco, each play unique roles that bring spectacular performances. Though individually compelling, their stories gradually weave together in a rich tapestry of emotional resonance.

Liam Neeson plays Michael, a disillusioned, Pulitzer-winning novelist grappling with writer's block, holed up in a posh Paris hotel to compose his latest book. Meanwhile, he embarks on a complex relationship with a mysterious, challenging younger woman, Anna (Olivia Wilde) — an enigmatic figure who drifts in and out of his life, posing as both muse and distraction.

Simultaneously, we're transported to the fast-paced city of New York, where we follow Julia (Mila Kunis), a former soap opera actress battling for custody of her son from her ex-husband Rick (James Franco). As she finds herself drawn into a tight legal battle of he-said, she-said, her lawyer (Maria Bello) raises ever compounding doubts about the veracity of Julia's claims.

The third story unfolds in the historic city of Rome, where Sean (Adrien Brody), a seedy American businessman dealing in stolen designs, becomes infatuated with Monika (Moran Atias), a gypsy woman who has been ensnared in a human trafficking ring to save her daughter. Sean's cynical worldview is challenged as he's pulled into Monika's dangerous endeavor, testing his willingness to trust and risk for love.

Third Person cleverly manages to draw parallels between these individual tales, using metaphorical tricks and symbolic motifs, including a recurring theme around keys and doors that suggest unlocking secrets and opening up to true, often painful, emotions. As the narrative moves forward, the audience begins to identify patterns, connections, truths, and tissues of lies that bind these characters together, despite their geographic and circumstantial differences.

Haggis' screenplay deserves acclaim for the way it ingeniously weaves its triptych structure. His choice of cities is hardly incidental; each resonates with the characters' predicament, echoing and amplifying their emotional dilemmas. The Parisian backdrop for Neeson's crippling writer's block symbolizes romance and intellectual struggle, as New York encapsulates the ruthlessness of Kunis's desperate plight. The tryst in Rome exudes intrigue, danger, and a sense of impulsiveness that corresponds with Brody's character's plight.

The performances––especially by Neeson, Kunis, and Brody––are engaging and moving. Neeson's portrayal of the tormented writer is particularly captivating, delivering a performance that combines vulnerability with a biting intellectual edge.

Third Person's cinematography is also noteworthy. Each city brings its unique palette to the visual narrative, enhancing the storyline and its thematic elements in the process. The splendid visual storytelling is further emphasized through the score, manifesting an apt tonal echo to the narrative progression.

While the film may initially appear to be separate stories of love and loss, careful attention reveals that they are part of a more significant, intricate design. The unconventional narrative structure, coupled with Haggis' stylized writing, layer the film with a level of intrigue and complexity that keeps audiences guessing until the film's emotional climax.

Overall, Third Person is a tour de force in sophisticated, intelligent filmmaking. The film demands audience engagement and rewards it with a rich, narrative tapestry that cleverly binds three intricate, seemingly disparate stories about love, guilt, trust, and redemption together. It's a challenging, thought-provoking cinematic experience, elevating the drama genre with its thematic depth, narrative structure, and captivating performances.