sex, lies, and videotape

sex, lies, and videotape

20/1/1989 1h 41m 6.9/10

Overview

Ann, a frustrated wife, enters into counseling due to a troubled marriage. Unbeknownst to her, her husband John has begun an affair with her sister. When John’s best friend Graham arrives, his penchant for interviewing women about their sex lives forever changes John and Ann’s rocky marriage.

Director

Alexandra Root

Top Billed Cast

Andie MacDowell

Andie MacDowell

Ann Bishop Mullany

James Spader

James Spader

Graham Dalton

Laura San Giacomo

Laura San Giacomo

Cynthia Bishop

Peter Gallagher

Peter Gallagher

John Mullany

Steven Brill

Steven Brill

Barfly

Ron Vawter

Ron Vawter

Therapist

Reviews

CinemaSerf

CinemaSerf

7/25/2024

7/10

If in doubt, see a therapist! Well that's what the ostensibly happy "Ann" (Andi MacDowell) does whilst married to aspiring lawyer "John" (Peter Gallagher). This woman stresses about just about everything, and this singularly futile behaviour is having quite an impact on her sex-life and therefore her marriage. "John" isn't the most loyal of men, so switches allegiance to her willing barmaid sister "Cynthia" (Laura San Giacomo) and then just to add a bit more complexity, "John" meets up with old friend "Graham" (James Spader) who brings a candour to the scenario that's actually quite funny in it's potent honesty. You get a clue as to the route it's now going to take from the title and at times it's remarkably poignant as it deals quite entertainingly, if on an almost entirely sex-free basis, with what people obsess about and how in some cases the obsessing about the obsession becomes a sort of raison d'être as the problems entrench and lives get well and truly stuck. The pithy dialogue has a reality to it that though occasionally a little contrived, does make you think when you stand in front of the mirror that maybe some of the attitudes and belligerences could apply to some degree in many of our lives as we tend to overthink. It's maybe Spader's best role - his character is understated and surprisingly effective as this admittedly rather ploddingly paced look at morals and mores builds up. MacDowell isn't the best, she sort of fluffs her way through the story but the other two principals and Rob Vawter's analyst keep it all quite watchable for an hour and ah half.

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