Sex, Lies, and Videotape (1989)

Steven Soderbergh shot to stardom with this movie a couple decades ago. I didn't know what to expect from the title. I should have.

The film is about exactly that: sex, lies and videotape. It explores broken relationships and uses the mediums of sex, lies and videotape to do so. The film is ingenious and the acting flawless. There is no graphic sex in the film and it is more like a play than a film as there are 4 main characters and 3 supporting characters and only 6 locations.

The themes and messages are complex and I would be too bold to try and unpack this movie in a couple paragraphs. I will say that I was impressed at how sincere the players were. The attitudes towards different things did seem a little dated and I wondered as I watched the film how it would have been different if it were made today. The truths discussed would undoubtedly be the same, but some might be a little more obvious while others more obscure.

Women want to be listened to and taken seriously and loved. They are naturally drawn to men who will do just those things. A really great film.

It is interesting to see how groundbreaking this film was in its time. Since then, certain themes and styles from the film have been reproduced in countless other films. It became a trendsetter and I look forward to watching more of Soderbergh's films in future.

IMDB