Review of Disclosure (1994) by Jeffrey L — 07 Mar 2012

Michael Crichton's corporate thriller is brought to life in Disclosure. A film piled up with shocks and suspense to keep it exciting and edgy the whole way through, fans of similar thrillers like Body Heat, Basic Instinct and Femme Fatale will surely add this one to their list in an instant. A polished Hollywood cast raises the bar multiple levels and there is much to ponder, even if some parts sway a little too far toward absurdity and predictability.

Michael Douglas once again plays a victim of female entrapment as a devout executive (in addition to husband and father of two children) who loses a promotion to a female co-worker. Yet, things are more intense than ever as this woman (played quite well by sexy Demi Moore) happens to be his former lady friend. When they decide to get together one afternoon to catch up on things, she throws herself on him and nearly forces him to commit adultery. The situation snowballs even further, however when they sue each other for sexual harassment. A case against this woman is no simple task, he soon discovers as she is more intelligent and sly than Richard Nixon!

A film more spellbinding and dressed up than most, more thrills and chills make their way into the storyline than anyone should expect. Director Barry Levinson (known for directing Sleepers and Wag the Dog) captures the sexy ingredients from Crichton's novel and stays on track pretty well (though some side plots from the book were evidently skipped for a reason). Use of special effects (especially in the "virtual reality" scene) are a big highlight in addition to good performances all around. The film's theatrical poster (look above) was banned in several countries for its graphic content. Look for Ralph Tabakin as an elevator attendant who appears in almost all of Levinson's films.