In his 2001 film titled Lantana, director Ray Lawrence offers 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 are both seemingly in the midst of a downward spiral. As the story develops and the issues surrounding each of these relationships are uncovered, the film paints a vivid picture of the different ways in which such issues can quickly bring down relationships and, in the case of some of the film's characters, screw. As the film begins, it quickly becomes apparent that Leon, a married law enforcement officer, is cheating on his wife Sonja with Jane, a woman in their dance class. Jane is also married, but is separated from her husband. It is clear from the beginning that Leon and Sonja's marriage is in serious trouble. The other main couple, Valerie and John, are struggling to keep their relationship together following the murder of their young daughter. Valerie is also Sonja's therapist. Through therapy sessions between Valerie and Sonja, it becomes clear that Sonja has suspicions about Leon's extramarital activities. At the same time, Valerie is counseling a homosexual man named Patrick, who is having an affair with a married man. Both patients appear to cause Valerie a tremendous amount of stress, as she begins to question whether John is faithful to her in the midst of their struggles. As the film progresses, Valerie begins to behave erratically due to her growing jealousy regarding the affair she suspects John is involved in. One night, while walking home late at night, Valerie gets stuck and calls John several times from a pay phone, but... ... middle of paper ...... nations of jealousy can arise in relationships and the effects of each type. Lantana's plot elements were masterfully crafted by the director as each interaction and relationship showed a different aspect of the results of jealousy and infidelity in relationships. I found the differences in the relationships themselves, as well as the ways in which each relationship participant reacted to their own relationship situations, to be quite realistic and ultimately quite educational. While the film was clearly a drama and a work of art, it successfully reinforced many of the ideas communicated during the conference and helped explain the differences in subsets of jealousy and infidelity. Overall, the film and the actors' portrayals of the characters provided an in-depth look at the ways jealousy and infidelity affect intimate relationships..