Betrayal

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Betrayal

R,

1982,

1h 35m,

Drama

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Watchlist

86%

14 Reviews

Tomatometer

77%

500+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

86%

Tomatometer

14 Reviews

77%

Popcornmeter

500+ Ratings

One-time lovers Jerry (Jeremy Irons) and Emma (Patricia Hodge) meet in a London pub for the first time since their breakup. Emma informs Jerry that she's confessed to her husband, Robert (Ben Kingsley), about their affair. From there, in reverse chronology, they ruminate on the highs and lows of their tumultuous seven-year relationship, from their first meeting, to the eventual chilling of their romance, to their betrayal of cuckold Robert, Jerry's best friend.

Dave Kehr

Chicago Reader

Jul 3, 2015

Not a total loss-some wit and a few well-sketched moments survive-but the betrayal here is largely one of the talent involved.

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Geoff Andrew

Time Out

Apr 21, 2012

Hodge is fine, Kingsley tries his best, and Irons is as tight-assed as ever. But it's all so uncinematic as to make one wonder why it was ever made in the first place.

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Variety Staff

Variety

Apr 21, 2012

An absorbing, quietly amusing chamber drama for those attuned to Harold Pinter's way with words.

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Molly Haskell

Vogue

Feb 26, 2020

In Pinter's plays, the silences are as important as the notes; and [the actors] play the pauses with such exquisite timing, such command of detonating ambiguities, as to make the Broadway version look like a hastily assembled run-through.

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TV Guide

Jul 3, 2015

3/4

Once you've grasped the reverse chronology, the events peel away in layers that produce unexpected insights along the way.

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Adrian Turner

Radio Times

Jul 3, 2015

4/5

Razor sharp in its depiction of a rather precious, pretentious literary London, Pinter's own world; in fact it includes an unforgettable scene in a restaurant when Kingsley goes ballistic.

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Ron R

Oct 28, 2016

Wasn't so sure if I 'loved' it when I saw it during its original theatrical release at the Cumberland theatre, Toronto. I just knew the acting was terrific. Watched it again on (!) YouTube (never a DVD release!!) and it was like one of the best dramas I've ever seen! I really appreciated more now the story being told in reverse. Maybe it threw me a bit the first time, never having seeing the play. It really is all about the chemistry between the three leads, and it is there. Quiet and deliberately paced, all the more to draw you in as a witness to this love triangle. And feel the pain all the more, from each character, by the end. Well done!

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David Jones

Director

Jeremy Irons

Jerry

Ben Kingsley

Robert

Patricia Hodge

Emma

Sam Spiegel

Producer

Harold Pinter

Writer

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Synopsis

One-time lovers Jerry (Jeremy Irons) and Emma (Patricia Hodge) meet in a London pub for the first time since their breakup. Emma informs Jerry that she's confessed to her husband, Robert (Ben Kingsley), about their affair. From there, in reverse chronology, they ruminate on the highs and lows of their tumultuous seven-year relationship, from their first meeting, to the eventual chilling of their romance, to their betrayal of cuckold Robert, Jerry's best friend.

Director: David Jones
Producer: Sam Spiegel
Screenwriter: Harold Pinter
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 19, 1982, Original
Runtime: 1h 35m

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