Review of Sleeping with the Enemy (1991) by John A — 30 Apr 2008
Every once in a while a film comes along that has been affecting enough that you persuade yourself it deserves high praise, while logic forces thoughtful reflection and the inhalation of the true absurdities you have just been forced to witness.
'Sleeping with the Enemy' is such a picture, because despite my admiration for certain strokes of directorial genius and a sensitive, issue-led storyline that is dealt with rather well, the majority of the film is something of an abomination.
It is almost as though two separate directors have each made a half of this film, then put the pieces together giving the audience this awkward, badly structured mess. Domestic abuse is a theme that needs skilful handling for obvious reasons, and Julia Roberts is solid, sometimes brilliant in her portrayal of a woman pushed over the edge.
Patrick Bergman is efficiently menacing as the violent husband she is fleeing from too. The opening act is quiet and understated, executed in brilliant form and establishing this relationship with truth and a watchful eye.
Her escape is slightly convoluted; nevertheless it works. It is when she starts her new life that the film really rails off into awful cinema. A lot of the dialogue is uninspiring and unrealistic, and her new romance is not at all believable, even for a moment.
The direction varies, from off-key to plain embarrassing, but occasionally a jolt of flare or a human moment of intense emotion sucks you back in again to believing this film works. Then the ending, while really putting the 'thriller' conventions into overdrive, manages to engage on a more adrenaline level of interaction, and it is done decently, if not original, logical or faithful to the characters.
'Sleeping with the Enemy' just isn't enough; it never lives up to the initial promise, and its inability to take the subject matter seriously leaves the predictable plot to play out in an uneven and inconsistent manner, which the audience fails to emotionally connect with.
This review of Sleeping with the Enemy (1991) was written by John A on 30 Apr 2008.
Sleeping with the Enemy has generally received positive reviews.
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