Review of Smooth Talk (1985) by Lisa J — 07 May 2010
I loved the Joyce Carol Oates short story this is based on, but every attempt to expand on it here fell flat. The newly added scenes and dialogue never reach the same level of authenticity as that original story, and at its worst moments, the interactions between the protagonist and her family are just plain cheesy.
It felt like I was watching a Hallmark movie gone horribly wrong. "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been" gets its message across without being so preachy. The climactic scene (taken almost word-for-word from the original story) is very well-done, with great acting from Treat Williams who manages to seem creepy and charismatic at the same time.
Clearly, this should have been a short film...just without the tacked-on "happy ending" that is so contrived it ruins the previous scene I was just praising.
This review of Smooth Talk (1985) was written by Lisa J on 07 May 2010.
Smooth Talk has generally received mixed reviews.
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