sex, lies, and videotape (1989)

Summary: Ann (Andie MacDowell) has no interest in sex with her husband, John (Peter Gallagher), so he turns to her sister, Cynthia (Laura San Giacomo). Things change when John's college friend, Graham (James Spader) blows into town, bringing a strange new fetish with him.

Oh, Steven Soderbergh. This film is possibly one of the best writing/directorial debuts of all time. The bare sets, the naked soundtrack, the stunning performances are all intense and intimate. Graham's fetish involves interviews, and the film feels like you are watching one. All these long shots, pacing out the story, then a sudden powerful and sexual close-up. It's hot, to say the least.

Spader (who came along before Soderbergh found his golden boy in George Clooney) and MacDowell are phenomenal. Their chemistry is tangible, their body language potent, and their interaction intense. San Giacomo is believable as the jealous younger sister and Gallagher as a stupidly over-confident lout. But they can't hold a candle to watching the relationship between Graham and Ann progress. It's wild.

I realize that I made the film sound highly sexual, which it is, but that doesn't mean you watch a lot of sex. You don't. I've got to tell you, I don't like movies with a lot of sex. I much prefer to see the before and after because it's rarely important to show the audience anything more. But, yes, the word sex is in the title, and it plays a huge role in the film. So do lies. And, especially, so does videotape.