Lie To Me

Directed: John Stewart Muller

Review By Rowan Harrison

What happens when two people who have been in a long term relationship, find it acceptable to date other people, while trying to maintain their own courtship?  Well you would probably guess two things, a good time for one, and of course a romantic train wreck.  In the world premiere of the steamy, Lie To Mie, director Muller and co writer Laura Boersma flirt and toy with contemporary modern day relationships, while dissecting the concept of monogamy in half. 

Of course sticky situations always seem to morph from some type of social event, and what better platform then an over the top wedding.  Where family, friends, past lovers and potential romantic interest all converge, for the young good looking couple Mason and Samantha, this is their diving board into other carnal interest.

The author of smutty erotic literature and a ladies man Mason, becomes easily distracted by his best friends sister Olivia.  Equally, so does Samantha, as she gets more then just reacquainted with a former boyfriend, James Boner Baxter played by Superman Returns, Brandon Routh. 

Accepting of each others liaisons, Mason and Sam continue their affairs and are open with one another on each others progress.  Of course one can assume where this is heading, into a maelstrom of emotions and doubt, as James wants more than your typical sordid affair, “this feels like wife swapping maybe I will call you when I grow up”

A bit dry on dialogue, Lie to Me, reexamines relationships in the new millennium, where promiscuity and we are not far from the term, a “swingers” lifestyle is the norm.  However this is on the surface, sprinkled with light humor, Muller does keep the bed swapping in check, allowing the bitter reality of losing the ones you love, tangible.    

A young and talented ensemble, Steven Sandvoss does rather well playing the player Mason, and it’s his character that comes out of this emotional rollercoaster with a little more hope and new found perspective.  Shoshana Bush’s character Olivia, who is the youngest in this sordid mess, is interesting as well, she seems to be the only one to really know what she wants, and that’s to simply be free and unfettered. 

Now there are many films to pick and choose from that deals with this subject matter, the 2004 We Don’t Live Here Anymore, and Ingmar Bergman’s classic 1973 Scenes from a Marriage, all having deep insightful psychological and emotional bravado that its situation just beckons for.   Lie to Me has all the same nuts and bolts, but lacks the fore mentioned content, hindering its pathos; instead what we have here is another nice stylized romantic melodramatic soap opera.  With music from L.A.’s dreamy Devics, the always superb and classic New Order, Mellowdrone, and the Sleepy Jacksons, this is a film that should appeal to a twenty something audience.