After reading various reviews, the interpretation of the film being about Liam's Neeson's novel seems to be quite accurate. He uses the characters of his book to symbolise his guilt and the significance of 'trust' through different situations. Towards the end of the film as the characters disappear, this reinforces the idea they are only a figment of his imagination.
Mila Kunis's character is symbolic to Liam as he feels overwhelming guilt due to the death of his child. This particular situation shows what may have been Liam's life had the child lived as there is no trust, she is severely hurt and depressed as she is unable to see her son. The scene where Mila breaks the flower vases symbolises the significance of 'white' being the colour of trust and lies and she feels she is not trusted. The significance of the affair that Liam's character has is also along the same lines as this manic and complicated woman he loves only feels comfortable with married men as she can leave when she wants and she can't be hurt, the theme again being trust. Perhaps the older man she sees through the film is in fact her father which shows the complicated relationship she has had and the pain she has feel as she cannot trust men even her own father, yet she is drawn to him in need for forgiveness. As she accepts her love for Liam's character and begins to be more vulnerable to the idea of love, her emotions show her sorrow and she is finally able to say goodbye to the dependence she has for the older man and is now devoted to Liam. The American thief is responsible for his child's death and craves her voice to live on. When he is conned by the Italian woman, this again has the theme of trust as he trusts too easily and this woman will do anything to get out of the situation she is in with what looks like a non-existent predicament with her daughter. finally when the American man is out of money giving away everything he has, he must wait to see if the woman will return despite his lack of money. She does return and they are able to live life aware of each other's faults and flaws, something he needs given his role with the death of his child. This is something his ex-wife is unable to forgive him for and therefore they had no chance of staying together. He must move on.
The characters parallel Liam's life and the different paths he could have taken. From my interpretation, the affair was part of his imagination created for his novel and his wife worries that while he is away in Rome to write his novel, he may have an affair as he is a romantic. This is why she says "is she there" but he responds with no she isn't in a confusion of reality and the story of his novel.
The recurring "watch me" said by the son is driving the creation of Liam's novel as he remembers the trust his son had and the moment (may have been an accident) where he dies. *Note the idea of white being symbolic is seen through Liam's lover wearing a white dress, the flowers, the colour of milk as Mila's son convinces his father she should be trusted.
Mila Kunis's character is symbolic to Liam as he feels overwhelming guilt due to the death of his child. This particular situation shows what may have been Liam's life had the child lived as there is no trust, she is severely hurt and depressed as she is unable to see her son. The scene where Mila breaks the flower vases symbolises the significance of 'white' being the colour of trust and lies and she feels she is not trusted. The significance of the affair that Liam's character has is also along the same lines as this manic and complicated woman he loves only feels comfortable with married men as she can leave when she wants and she can't be hurt, the theme again being trust. Perhaps the older man she sees through the film is in fact her father which shows the complicated relationship she has had and the pain she has feel as she cannot trust men even her own father, yet she is drawn to him in need for forgiveness. As she accepts her love for Liam's character and begins to be more vulnerable to the idea of love, her emotions show her sorrow and she is finally able to say goodbye to the dependence she has for the older man and is now devoted to Liam. The American thief is responsible for his child's death and craves her voice to live on. When he is conned by the Italian woman, this again has the theme of trust as he trusts too easily and this woman will do anything to get out of the situation she is in with what looks like a non-existent predicament with her daughter. finally when the American man is out of money giving away everything he has, he must wait to see if the woman will return despite his lack of money. She does return and they are able to live life aware of each other's faults and flaws, something he needs given his role with the death of his child. This is something his ex-wife is unable to forgive him for and therefore they had no chance of staying together. He must move on.
The characters parallel Liam's life and the different paths he could have taken. From my interpretation, the affair was part of his imagination created for his novel and his wife worries that while he is away in Rome to write his novel, he may have an affair as he is a romantic. This is why she says "is she there" but he responds with no she isn't in a confusion of reality and the story of his novel.
The recurring "watch me" said by the son is driving the creation of Liam's novel as he remembers the trust his son had and the moment (may have been an accident) where he dies. *Note the idea of white being symbolic is seen through Liam's lover wearing a white dress, the flowers, the colour of milk as Mila's son convinces his father she should be trusted.