Sex, Lies, and Videotape (1989)

A movie that touches the soul and frees the mind
I can't believe that it took me this long to watch this masterpiece of a movie. Despite the title, there's nothing raunchy about it, instead we are rewarded with perceptive insight into the lives of the main characters. James Spader, who also won the Best Actor Prize at the Cannes Film Festival for his performance in this movie portrays Graham, the long-lost pal of Peter Gallagher's John, a lawyer married to Ann [Andie MacDowell] who seems like a lost soul searching for something. Ann, who at first appears uptight and almost sexless, is drawn to Graham and both share a very palbable on-screen chemistry.

Ann and John's marriage seems idyllic on the surface, but is plagued by problems. Ann is not interested in sex, and John has lots of illicit sex with Ann's sister, a spitfire named Cynthia [Laura San Giacomo]. The characters are well-cast, each bringing a certain level of depth to his/her character and especialyl so with Spader's performance, as the subtle and unassuming, yet mentally tortured Graham.

Graham's role here is very significant in impacting upon and acting as a catalyst in the transformation of the other characters. He makes videotapes of women's sexual confessions, and the impact this has upon Ann and Cynthia is crucial to the plot.

Steven Soderbergh does an excellent job directing, drawing out nuanced performances from his cast, and the result is truly a wrenching look at human relationships. Highly recommended!

Fascinating Debut
Steven Soderbergh's now legendary debut was the first his film I saw. It was in 1989, during the Moscow International Film Festival. Only later I found out that Sodebergh was 29 when he wrote the screenplay in eight days during a trip to Los Angeles and made the film for $1.8 million. His independent movie was a real hit that was selected for Cannes Film Festival and won the Palme d'Or and the best actor prize for James Spader.

The film concerns four attractive and intelligent young people. Ann (Andy MacDowell in the best role I've ever seen her) is married to John (Gallagher) but their sexual life is practically non-existent since Ann finds sex over-rated, and to simply put it, she does not enjoy or even need it. John is having an affair with Ann's sexy younger sister, Cynthia (San Giacomo) who seems to resent Ann. Enters Graham (Spader), John's college friend with the unusual hobby of videotaping women while they describe their sexual fantasies and very important skill - he knows how to listen.

I had seen many movies before "sex, lies and videotape" and I've seen plenty since but it has a special place in my memory. It was the first film I had seen that dealt with and talked about very intimate topics of sexuality, satisfaction, jealousy, sisters' relationship, marital problems and loyalty, the secret longings in all of us, and the ever mysterious nature of erotic desire with such level of honesty, openness, and intelligence. The writing, the dialogs, and the acting are superb with James Spader and Laura San Giacomo simply outstanding and Andie McDowell very convincing.

4.5/5 or 9/10

Fascinating Debut
Steven Soderbergh's now legendary debut was the first his film I saw. It was in 1989, during the Moscow International Film Festival. Only later I found out that Sodebergh was 29 when he wrote the screenplay in eight days during a trip to Los Angeles and made the film for $1.8 million. His independent movie was a real hit that was selected for Cannes Film Festival and won the Palme d'Or and the best actor prize for James Spader.

The film concerns four attractive and intelligent young people. Ann (Andy MacDowell in the best role I've ever seen her) is married to John (Gallagher) but their sexual life is practically non-existent since Ann finds sex over-rated, and to simply put it, she does not enjoy or even need it. John is having an affair with Ann's sexy younger sister, Cynthia (San Giacomo) who seems to resent Ann. Enters Graham (Spader), John's college friend with the unusual hobby of videotaping women while they describe their sexual fantasies and very important skill - he knows how to listen.

I had seen many movies before "sex, lies and videotape" and I've seen plenty since but it has a special place in my memory. It was the first film I had seen that dealt with and talked about very intimate topics of sexuality, satisfaction, jealousy, sisters' relationship, marital problems and loyalty, the secret longings in all of us, and the ever mysterious nature of erotic desire with such level of honesty, openness, and intelligence. The writing, the dialogs, and the acting are superb with James Spader and Laura San Giacomo simply outstanding and Andie McDowell very convincing.

4.5/5 or 9/10