american romantic comedy film written directed starring plays brian year old writer affair year old married french woman husband wilson agreement allowed affairs long confined hours film premise inspired french couple open marriage met 1980s completed film draft project remained development seven years casting issues initially cast replaced filming began new_york_city mainly took place manhattan film score composed premiered film festival april screened traverse city film festival won audience award best american film film released theatrically april grossed worldwide box office received mixed positive reviews critics plot struggling year old writer new_york_city meets year old french woman named second meeting reveals married diplomat young children agreement allowed affairs long confined hours brian information tells continue relationship believing affair says change mind continue smoke place met weeks brian decides meet gives hotel key evening hotel room relationship begin meet regularly hotel room evenings aware brian affair approaches street invites brian house dinner dinner brian meets children introduced lover jane olivia later meets brian parents sam learning married mother sam tells brian relationship accepts love despite circumstances brian invited new_yorker ceremony receive award short stories joined jane parents jane tells brian boss publisher read story wants brian write novel brian meets hotel asks marry giving ring rejects proposal tells feelings different age difference brian insists truly love reluctantly accepts proposal telling meet day hotel shows brian apartment night brian expresses anger brian betrayal rules boundaries open marriage gives brian check expenses leaves day hotel gives brian letter explains loves deeply leave husband children asks contact jane later ends relationship feels like betrayal friendship brian brian novel published years brian walking street wife baby son run teenage children outside asks jane brian tells married son shows brian subtly wears ring gave cast olivia production story inspired couple writer director met france couple open marriage lover according terribly arrangement meeting couple filed away idea work incorporate larger story conceived complete plot children birth early 2000s wrote draft film march agent introduced read script agreed produce partnered producer film project remained development seven years difficulties finding appropriately box office eligible actors schedules lined budget primarily financed additional funding private investors including approached star seeing actor performance film like crazy wrote letter asking accept role received letter agreed star film announced cast lover later replaced cast curtis produced close film remained close friends film features cameo appearances prominent new civil rights activist chef conductor new_yorker editor filming originally scheduled begin february delayed film shot cinematographer camera format decided use wide shots long takes avoid reminding audience movie unnecessary cuts filming mainly took place new_york_city specific filming locations included fifth avenue restaurant major location outside brian apartment filmed 30th street shots plaques benches interspersed film sent group find interesting inscriptions benches selected thirty filmed day shooting crew adopted bench plaque shown end film credits initially planned use jazz soundtrack found classical music completing filming hired compose film score consisted main melodies classical theme release premiered film festival april went screened traverse city film festival savannah film festival denver film festival palm springs international film festival film festival international film festival virginia film festival boulder international film festival won audience award best american film traverse city film festival nominated best narrative feature bermuda international film festival acquired united_states distribution rights film june released theatrically april new_york los_angeles grossing locations opening weekend later expanded theaters earned total weeks american theaters outside north_america film successful mexico grossed russia grossed earned total internationally making total worldwide gross reception review aggregator site rotten_tomatoes holds approval rating based reviews average rating site consensus states rom clichés offset charming stars sensitive direction smart screenplay metacritic film score based reviews critics indicating mixed average reviews san_francisco_chronicle enjoyed film praised performance particular felt rare category romantic drama aimed male audience comparing role twilight saga variety critic commended earnest heart sleeve approach referring film sentimental age irony highlighted elegant traditional classical score minimalist cinematography hollywood reporter opined romantic old fashioned way despite plot devices praised cinematography performance found film charm ing spite lacked plot character development credited cinematography music production design costumes giving film kind awarded film stars boston_globe felt film relied stereotypes cliché offered refreshing innovations romance genre praised performance comic relief provided oddly perfectly cast chief film critic found plot characters criticized physically stiff performance similarities film manhattan based works washington_post felt film lacked authenticity writing feels constructed lived praised modest endearing lead performance found character referred worthy finding premise melodramatic found brian character dimensional believed stand adolescent male fantasy village_voice felt brian character relationship believable criticized film reliance national stereotypes artistic martyr
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