In his 2001 film titled Lantana, director Ray Lawrence takes a dramatic look at the consequences of jealousy and infidelity in relationships. The film primarily focuses on two couples, Leon and Sonja, and John and Valerie, whose relationships both seem to be in the middle of their own downward spiral. As the story unfolds and the issues affecting each of these relationships are uncovered, the film paints a vivid picture of the various ways in which these themes can quickly ruin relationships and, in the case of some of the film's characters , the life. From the opening of the film, it quickly becomes apparent that Leon, a married law enforcement officer, is cheating on his wife Sonja with Jane, a woman from their dance class. Jane is also married, but separated from her husband. It's obvious from the start that Leon and Sonja's marriage is in dire straits. The other main couple, Valerie and John, struggle to maintain their relationship after the murder of their young daughter. Valérie is also Sonja's therapist. Through therapy sessions between Valérie and Sonja, it becomes clear that Sonja has suspicions regarding Léon's extramarital activities. Simultaneously, Valerie counsels a homosexual man named Patrick, who is having an affair with a married man. The two patients appear to be causing Valerie a tremendous amount of stress, as she begins to question whether John is faithful to her amid their struggles. As the film progresses, Valerie begins to behave erratically due to her growing jealousy of the affair she suspects John of being involved in. While returning home late at night, Valerie finds herself stranded and calls John repeatedly from a pay phone, but... ... middle of paper ...... nations of jealousy can arise in the relationships and effects of each type. The elements of Lantana's storyline were masterfully crafted by the director as each interaction and relationship showed a different aspect of the outcomes. of jealousy and infidelity in relationships. I found the differences in the relationships themselves, as well as how each participant in the relationships reacted to their relationship situations, to be quite realistic and, ultimately, quite educational. Although the film is clearly a drama and a work of art, it managed to reinforce many of the ideas communicated during the course and helped explain the differences between the jealousy and infidelity subsets. Overall, the film and the cast's portrayals of the characters provided an in-depth look at how jealousy and infidelity affect intimate relationships..