The Summer Of Directors Challenge: Film 36, #51: Sex, Lies, and Videotape

Fascinating. sex, lies, and videotape delivers everything promised in its title. Soderbergh's visual style was already entirely defined in his first feature, and coupled with the offbeat acting and plot structure, it's one of the most interesting film debuts of all time.

Soderbergh Ranked

As far as feature film debuts from great directors this isn't bad. It shows none of the signs of the lack of experience which hold back many such movies. But it's also no Eraserhead. It has an interesting enough story to keep you hooked, the pacing and cinematography bear the seeds of the great director to come, and most of the acting is solid (a few actors at the beginning of their careers who would end up making it pretty big too). But despite the subject matter being right up my alley (psychology) and being from a director I know and love I wasn't really blown away. Fun and worth seeing for fans of Soderbergh, but not required reading.

Quality: 3/5
Enjoyment: 4/5
★★★½

A perfect film. Amazing that at one point this movie was considered edgy or kinky... but of course I have to remind myself people used to not have the internet. James Spader plays probably his only insecure role, but still a creep. I was so surprised not to see his usually predatory creep role.

Whatever. The real star here is Soderbergh, who steals liberally from Hitchcock and Altman to amazing effect. The best part of the film, though, is the writing... that joke about the “only having one key” and reply “so why don’t you sell the car” had me laughing so hard we had to stop the movie and rewind. 

It is insane to think that this was his first film. I bow down to you, Steven Soderbergh.

Maybe I hoped for even more from this film, but it’s still so rich, layered and populated with characters whose actions are carefully calculated by Soderbergh to move the plot in both expected and unexpected ways. Spader and San Giacomo are beyond words. A superb debut from the director.

Unconventional, pure, and most of all real, Steven Soderbergh's debut film "Sex, Lies, and Videotape" is an admirable study on the taboo of sex and intimacy.

Soderbergh tackles some really interesting themes with the utmost care and his small cast does wonders performance-wise. However, even if the characters may very well be realistic, they are a despicable bunch and I just cannot sympathize with them.

Sex, Lies, and Videotape really makes you think about sex in a different light and express yourself more freely. But, alas, who am I to talk about that subject?

A mature film for mature audiences.

This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.

Consisting entirely of acenes featuring small talk, this is the coice you go to when wanting to watch a movie about sex. It respects its theme, never going overboard and never simplying it for comeduc effect. It is erotic without being explicit, using only words to transend pleasure( a clever homage to Persona?). Gret start for the stellar Sonerberg.

I'm very much like Ann, aware of Graham conditions but still wanted... so badly...

أقرب ما يكون إلى روايات ميلان كونديرا الشبقية. راح أزعم إن الفيلم رتب لي أفكار عن الجنس والزواج والحب، وأن الطريقة المثلى للتواصل هي مجرد الكلام بلا قيود إلى شخص تأتمنه على جسدك. قد يبدو كلامي لا منطقيًا كما يبدو لي الآن ولكن هذا هي فكرة الفيلم، ومما يذكرني بمسلسل مادمن عندما قالت إحدى الشخصيات:

لماذا الجنس هو الشيء الوحيد الذي يجعلك قريبًا جدًا من إنسانٍ ما؟

هذا سؤال جيد جدًا، لأنه يفترض وجود علاقة طردية ما بين القرب الجسدي والقرب الروحي أو العاطفي كوسيلة وحيدة.

A superb display of masterful filmmaking by the then young Sodenbergh

An extremely well done sensual drama that strangely combines sexy with creepy

3.75