The End of the Affair poster & wallpaper
Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

Ralph Fiennes, Julianne Moore, Stephen Rea, Ian Hart, Sam Bould ... see more see more... , Jason Isaacs , James Bolam , Deborah Findlay , Heather Jay Jones , Penny Morrell

Based on the novel by Graham Greene, this romantic drama stars Ralph Fiennes as Maurice Bendrix, a novelist who, during World War II, had an affair with Sarah Miles (Julianne Moore), the wife of his b... read more read more...est friend Henry (Stephen Rea). Sarah abruptly broke off the romance in 1944, but two years later, after Maurice runs into Henry, he becomes obsessed with the affair and hires a man to investigate Sarah. He reads her diary of their forbidden romance in the midst of the London Blitz and discovers that, overwhelmed with fear and guilt, she pledged to God that she would end the affair if Maurice's life were spared. Maurice is determined to reintroduce himself into Sarah's life, but she fears that being near him would be too great a temptation. The End of the Affair was previously brought to the screen in 1955 by Edward Dmytryk; this version was written for the screen and directed by Academy Award-winner Neil Jordan. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Flixster Users

72% liked it

9,257 ratings

Critics

67% liked it

66 critics

R, 1 hr. 45 min.

Directed by: Neil Jordan

Release Date: December 3, 1999

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: May 16, 2000

Get It:

Stats: 519 reviews

report incorrect info

Photos

Stephen Rea & Ralph Fiennes in The End of the Affair Ralph Fiennes in The End of the Affair Ralph Fiennes in The End of the Affair Ralph Fiennes and Jason Isaacs Ralph Fiennes in The End of the Affair Julianne Moore in The End of the Affair Julianne Moore in The End of the Affair The End of the Affair Julianne Moore in The End of the Affair The End of the Affair Julianne Moore & Ralph Fiennes in The End of the Affair Julianne Moore & Ralph Fiennes in The End of the Affair The End of the Affair The End of the Affair
Upload a Photo | View All The End of the Affair Photos

Your Rating


clear rating

Flixster Reviews (519)

  • MissMorganLeee
    February 3, 2010
    MissMorganLeee
    Or as I like to call this movie; GROPE. lol I absolutely adore RALPH FIENNES. But i just didnt really find myself enjoying this movie that much.. Julianne Moores character seems almost too self-pitying and whinny as some points. In this movie I actually thought that the actor tha... read moret stood out the most for me was Stephen Rea. He was quite good. Never bitter or hating as you would expect a man in his position would be. Very well acted.
    All in all i dont really think I would watch this movie again, not even for Ralph. Near the end when we find out WHY Moores Character broke of the relationship, i just thought it was rediculous!! Very unbelieveable...
  • SirPant
    September 24, 2009
    SirPant
    I wasn?t convinced I was going to like it as I wasn?t a great fan of the book but this is a brilliant adaptation from Neil Jordan, who really captures the essence of the characters!
  • jjnxn
    September 21, 2008
    jjnxn
    Good period detail but dull
  • kiriyamakazou
    June 27, 2008
    kiriyamakazou
    Terribly bland and brash. The film lacks elegant subtlety so just about every theme is repeated out loud and then again in Fiennes' narration which is simply laughable. Why Jordan continues to cast Stephen Rea is anyones guess. He is either a dull mess, like he is here, or an ove... read morer the top laughing stock. The narrative manages to strip the film of any suspense or surprises and the religious aspects come across as desperate. Hart and Isaacs give two brilliant turns as you would expect but they are never fully developed upon. A melodramatic, emotionless mess. I'll give it points for the score.
  • Fascade518
    January 23, 2009
    Fascade518
    This has GOT to be one of the most CRAZIEST arrangements I have ever seen in the "art" of having an extramarital affair. I have got to admit it.this movie has shown me that..BEING involved is so much more than GETTING involved in one. See this...it is one of the craziest lesson... read mores in a "love" affair I have ever viewed on film in the form of a drama.If you are involved in one...it will definitely make you think...THREE times!
  • hawkledge
    December 12, 2009
    hawkledge
    Lushly romantic, passionate war-time drama centered on a philosophical conflict between secular love and religious conversion. Ralph Fiennes limns the depths of jealousy as the brooding, thwarted lover eclipsed by Julianne Moore's alternately restrained, carnal, and ethereal perf... read moreormance. Period detail and handsome photography.
  • mvieaddict
    June 8, 2009
    mvieaddict
    Some films nowadays seem to lack on feelings, but not in The End of the Affair. Beautiful film and the lead characters were great.
    Julianne Moore was great as Sarah Miles,and Ralph Fiennes was convincing as Bendrix. The message of the spiritual interest was very touching.The reve... read morealing of Sarah Miles' secret was handled very well, which makes you feel very sorry for Bendrix. I love the music, the visual, and the strong religious story presented in the movie.
  • sportsphenom1
    June 18, 2008
    sportsphenom1
    This is an extremely underrated achievement. This film gets everything right, I just loved it.
  • shannylee38
    March 29, 2008
    shannylee38
    A rich woman having an affair with her husband's friend is not much of an original story, nonetheless, without the great performances of these incredible actors, Ralph Fiennes and Stephen Rea, the film would have been another regular love triangle sort of film.
    Being the 6th or ... read more7th collaboration of Rea with director Neil Jordan, i now understand why Jordan's obsession by casting Rea in all his film is. Rea, as the husband, gives the most poignant and powerful performance in the film.
    Overall, this film is very sensual in terms of the love making and the beautiful score. Plus, the dialogues and the unstopable rain give an allure to the sensuality of the film.
  • sayers1977
    January 17, 2008
    sayers1977
    A passionate film that is very special to me and my wife (it was the first film we saw together as a couple). It moves me every time and the performances and direction are peerless. I love it.

View All The End of the Affair Reviews

Critic Reviews

Robert Horton
January 1, 2000
Robert Horton, Film.com

The elegance of Roger Pratt's camera and the handsome costuming create a tension between the stately surface world and the raw passion of the characters.

Kenneth Turan
January 1, 2000
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times

Handsomely mounted, literate, emotionally sophisticated, The End of the Affair has everything a period romance should have. Full Review

Emanuel Levy
January 1, 2000
Emanuel Levy, Variety

Jordan proves again that he is a supreme storyteller of complex human dramas. Full Review

Jonathan Foreman
January 1, 2000
Jonathan Foreman, New York Post

The characters are so unsympathetic, the adulterous love affair at the heart of the story so joyless, and the three main performances so mannered that it's hard to feel anything but disappointment and...

Mick LaSalle
January 1, 2000
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

Guaranteed to be mistaken for a first-rate picture. Full Review

J. Hoberman
January 1, 2000
J. Hoberman, Village Voice

For all its obvious psychoanalytic implications, [Jordan's] wacky romantic triangle lost me long before it crawled to its spiritualist conclusion. Full Review

Paul Tatara
January 1, 2000
Paul Tatara, CNN.com

An effective love story that's intensely old-fashioned. Full Review

Janet Maslin
January 1, 2000
Janet Maslin, New York Times

The best and most graceful Greene adaptation since The Third Man. Full Review

Owen Gleiberman
January 1, 2000
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly

Tasteful and seductive. Full Review

Mike Clark
January 1, 2000
Mike Clark, USA Today

This is the kind of movie in which even the sex scenes are soulless.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Cast

More Like This

Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • The English Patient
    The English Patient (87%)
  • Captain Corelli's Mandolin
    Captain Corelli's Mandolin (100%)
  • Jude
    Jude (100%)
  • The Remains of the Day
    The Remains of the Day (0%)

More Movies like The End of the Affair

Facts

No facts approved yet. Be the first

The End of the Af... : Watch Free on TV

The End of the Affair Trivia

  • He drank from the Goblet Of Fire, put an End to the Affair, became The English Patient and let Sunshine down on the people while running off with Schindler's List. Who is he?  Answer »
  • The English Patient, The Constant Gardener of the land of Wallace and Gromit, reads Schindler's List and finds Oscar and Lucinda. The Red Dragon of Harry Potter signals The End of the Affair.  Answer »
  • Who played the cuckold in "The End of the Affair"?  Answer »
  • Who links this movies? The end of the affair Harry Potter and the goblet of fire Red dragon The english patient  Answer »
More The End of the Affair Trivia

Movie Quizzes

No quizzes for The End of the Affair. Want to create one?

Video Clips

Upload a Video |

All The End of the Affair Videos

Meet Other Fans

Add The End of the Affair to favorites

Recent News

No recent headlines. Got one?

Recent Lists

Make a List |

View All Lists

Most Popular Skin

No skins yet. Interested in creating one?