Review of Disclosure (1994) by Stuart K — 06 May 2012

Michael Douglas stars in yet another hot button issue movie in "Disclosure", a sexually charged courtroom thriller that turns the gender table on the issue of sexual harassment. This is a smart, timely picture that entertains while ensuring a healthy discussion on the car ride home.

Douglas gives a typically strong lead performance, and that shouldn't be a shock considering he's played this same part in many different movies. Demi Moore has quite possibly never looked better on camera before, and she hits all the right notes as a character you love to hate. The harassment scene starts shakily as almost a parody, but Moore sells it and the end result is hot and yet unquestionably ambivalent.

Barry Levinson may seem like an odd choice to direct a film of this nature, but his direction is tight and sure-footed as usual. The script is intelligent and full of surprises as there always seems to be one more twist when most movies would be content to wrap things up. The finale is satisfying, and even though it doesn't end with a bang like say "Fatal Attraction", it remains true to the tone of the picture.

There is a ridiculous moment near the end where Douglas uses virtual reality to garner information that just doesn't work at all, but author Michael Crichton has always been obsessed with technology and science fiction. It just doesn't fit here. And even though the film was cutting edge upon its initial release, that technology seems wonderfully dated now. "Disclosure" is a tense, topical film that never takes the easy way out and it's wildly entertaining.