Interesting, IANTE
Yes, the development of the EA was very much like the development of my EA. It was creepy how much it reminded me of my own affair. Except that the artist OM was so much more of a "good guy" than my OM. Unless an artist who doesnt show his work to anyone and pulls a rickshaw instead is an affair down from a publishing chef? My OM was an out of work writer, isolated, who had confidence in his work, but no drive toward getting it out there. Something about the isolated artist thing struck a chord with me...so that I could wallow in my own insecurities with him.
I see her split-self affair as fitting the MLC paradigm except that they are both so young...late 20's.
And then the coming out of it briefly and wanting perhaps to come back to H at the end seemed to fit the MLC story to me as well, only the spouse was keeping up a wall, a boundary. I saw that kind of shallow remorse in my H at the tail end of his affair. He still has not come home but he has ended his affair.
I think my transition had all the earmarks of a MLC on the surface, but I had no desire to separate or abandon. So even though I do see myself in this movie, I don't know that supports it being a true representation of MLC.