9 1/2 WEEKS RATING: 6.5/ 10 --> So-so
For more reviews and trivia, go to http://surf.to/joblo
Adrian Lyne follows his tremendous hit FLASHDANCE with a movie that garnered the most sexual attention for a film since LAST TANGO IN PARIS (6.5/10). Lyne went on to direct many other perverted films such as FATAL ATTRACTION (8/10), INDECENT PROPOSAL (7/10) and 1998's LOLITA.
PLOT: Man sees woman. Woman sees man. Instant sexual attraction. Man likes to play head games and control the woman. Woman likes it to a point. Woman loves man? Man loves woman? Find out.
CRITIQUE: Dated, redundant, yet still somewhat interesting sexual drama that pits the young, good looking Mickey Rourke against the young and even prettier Kim Basinger. The film rolls by without much emotion, tension or resolution, but does feature a solid performance by Mickey and some of the most graphic sex scenes between two stars in a Hollywood picture. The shock and outrage that people expressed when this movie was first released was now replaced with a "been there, seen that" kind of feeling for me.
The soundtrack sucks (except for Brian Ferry's "Slave to Love" and the sex with food song), the direction is standard, and the story line blows chunks, but still, the nostalgia factor and Mickey Rourke acting, well, like Mickey Rourke, still managed to keep this film afloat the recommendable area. Also, if you're into Kim Basinger in any which way, shape or form, check this piece of tape out, 'cause God knows there are plenty of "provocative" shots in there to keep you busy during those long and lonely winter nights.
Overall, the film's plot is jammed with sex, some small talk about sex, kinky sex, some sadomasochistic undertones with a touch of control and misogyny, and even kinkier sex. If you're into any of that stuff, cheezy '80's soundtracks, Mickey Rourke's younger days, or even Kim Basinger's rack, I suggest you walk into your local video store and lease this Johnson for an evening. If not, your life will not change, and you could still catch an even greater acting coup by Mickey Rourke in the under-appreciated BARFLY (8/10) co-starring the lovely Faye Dunaway. Either way, Adrian Lyne's still a perv.
Little Known Facts about this film and its stars: Note that Kim Basinger's character Elizabeth wears white or colorful clothing except when she is with John (Mickey Rourke), when she wears black or grey. A few years after this film, Mickey Rourke tossed in his acting gloves and replaced them with some real boxing mitts as per his new career as a professional boxer. After an unsuccessful foray into that field, and several face-altering operations, Rourke is now attempting to re-ignite his Hollywood movie career. Mickey Rourke wrote the screenplay for the film HOMEBOY under the pseudonym Eddie Cook. Mickey is in an on-again, off-again marriage to model/actress Carré Otis, with whom he co-starred in WILD ORCHID. He's also been arrested on several occasions, for busting up hotel rooms, smoking up in a plane, and charges of spousal battery. Writer Zalman King also co-wrote and directed the Mickey Rourke vehicle WILD ORCHID. Kim Basinger is married to hairy actor Alec Baldwin, with whom she has mothered a child named Ireland. Alec once cracked a photographer in the head for attempting to take a picture of his baby daughter. He was let go with a simple slap on the wrist, with the jury ordering him to cough up a mere $4,500 in damages for being negligent.
Review Date: September 22, 1998
Director: Adrian Lyne
Writers: Sarah Kernochan and Zalman King
Producers: Antony Rufus Isaacs, Sidney Kimmel and Zalman King
Actors: Mickey Rourke as John
Kim Basinger as Elizabeth
Genre: Drama
Year of Release: 1986
Visit JoBlo's Movie Emporium
http://surf.to/joblo
(c) 1998 Berge Garabedian
The review above was posted to the
rec.arts.movies.reviews newsgroup (de.rec.film.kritiken for German reviews).
The Internet Movie Database accepts no responsibility for the contents of the
review and has no editorial control. Unless stated otherwise, the copyright
belongs to the author.
Please direct comments/criticisms of the review to relevant newsgroups.
Broken URLs inthe reviews are the responsibility of the author.
The formatting of the review is likely to differ from the original due
to ASCII to HTML conversion.
Related links: index of all rec.arts.movies.reviews reviews