This is an excellent film, well-made and well-acted that makes an extraordinary story believable. The characters are multi-layered and performances suitably reflect that. Anne Archer sensitively depicts a woman devastated by the loss of her son, sexually dominant, often deceitful, but possessing a heart and conscience. Neil Patrick Harris appears by turns uncertain, shy, horny, demanding and submissive in the role of Edward Broder, a man who chose to live under a kind of voluntary house arrest to be with the woman he loved. Len Cariou is credible when he plays a husband who is harsh and cruel and equally so when he is endearingly "lovesick."
I was so intrigued by the knowledge that this tale of a man who lived in a couple's attic for years without the husband knowing he was there was based on a true story that I simply had to research it further. It turned out to be inspired by the story of Otto Sanhuber who lived in the attic of Fred and Dolly Oesstreich, about whom I have a story at Court TV's Crime Library. This movie is so good that it rewards re-watching when the viewer can appreciate its multiple layers of interaction and meaning.
