Wilkinson, returning to meatier fare after Batman Begins and The Exorcism of Emily Rose, gives one of the most complex performances of his career, and the leads are ably assisted by Linda Bassett...

| Jun 28, 2022

Wilkinson and Watson give sharply observed performances, that don't allow the film to become a sudser.

| Original Score: B | Jun 9, 2010

"Separate Lies" is a hearty mystery/drama that blooms as a succinct social critique of British aristocracy.

| Original Score: B+ | Apr 19, 2009

A fascinating character study of lies, truth and the consequences

| May 13, 2006

| Original Score: 3/5 | May 12, 2006

| Original Score: 3/5 | Apr 1, 2006

Separate Lies seems to take forever to unfold, and when it does, it makes one wonder if it was worth the trouble.

| Original Score: 5/10 | Mar 2, 2006

At the mercy of material so fussy that no amount of frenetically-chopped vegetables can lend the piece much in the way of tension.

| Original Score: 2/4 | Feb 12, 2006

...Fellowes, who won a much deserved Oscar for his screenplay for Gosford Park, makes a fine directing debut with this updated variation on a classic theme...

Full Review | Dec 15, 2005

| Original Score: 2/5 | Dec 6, 2005

This may seem like a bleak ride, but the performances are so compelling that it's impossible to look away.

| Nov 17, 2005

Julian Fellowes turns out to be every bit as good a director as he is a writer.

| Original Score: 4.5/5 | Nov 9, 2005

A solidly made but strangely lightweight drama.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Nov 1, 2005

Julian Fellowes is two for two.

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | Oct 30, 2005

Engaging drama that doesn't quite pull off its transition from thriller to emotional drama, but compensates with strong performances, particularly from Tom Wilkinson.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Oct 29, 2005

This intriguing Brit entry starts out as a sort of suburban whodunit and then mutates into something else entirely -- an examination of a middle-class marriage and ultimately a meditation on selfless love.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Oct 28, 2005

Separate Lies would have you believe it's a potent brew when, in fact, it's little more than weak tea.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Oct 28, 2005

Lose the final plot twist, and Separate Lies is a tidy and wholly effective drama.

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | Oct 27, 2005

Fellowes is so committed to the artistic means of naturalism, and so judicious, that his work is absorbing in a way that movies of broader scope almost never are.

| Oct 26, 2005

You'll find it hard to keep the proverbial stiff upper lip when the overheated melodrama on the screen is prompting you to laugh out loud.

| Original Score: C- | Oct 23, 2005