Review of Carnal Knowledge (1971) by Mjs M — 27 Apr 2008

Finally got around to seeing this notorious Mike Nichols film about misogyny and sex from the fifties through the seventies (the present at the time). I thought Nicholson?s performance was fantastic, this might have been his career best, but I?ll have to think about that.

The dialogue was also great and there was a lot to like about the story. That said, I thought the Nicholson character was a bit over the top, is anyone really this much of a blatant prick? Probably, but it still didn?t quite ring true, especially why his timid friend would put up with it for so long.

Speaking of the timid friend, he?s also a weak link. It was a major mistake casting Art Garfunkel against Nicholson, he?s just not in the same league and his inability to stand up to Nicholson leaves the film a bit lopsided.

That said, the pros here far outweigh the cons, this movie mostly lived up to the hype.