← Back to Reviews
in
Consenting Adults
1992's Consenting Adults begins as a titillating cinematic peek behind the white picket fences of suburbia, but eventually degenerates into a standard murder mystery that defies logic and doesn't stand a lot of scrutiny.
Richard and Priscilla (Kevin Kline, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) become fast friends with their new neighbors Eddie and Kay (Kevin Spacey, Rebecca Miller) and the relationship progresses to a point where it is implied that Richard is attracted to Kay and Eddie is attracted to Priscilla. Eddie actually talks Richard into getting up in the middle of night and sneaking into each other's bedrooms, resulting in a tragedy we don't see coming and the struggle for Richard to retain his potentially destroyed existence.
Matthew Chapman's screenplay starts off quite brilliantly as we see two couples getting a little too close and we see where this is going, but this is where the writing errs in my opinion. I was expecting a different story to be told than the one that was told. A probing psychological drama could have resulted from next door neighbors cheating on their wives and how this one night methodically destroys both marriages, but instead we get a rather conventional story about murder for money that gets ridiculously convoluted. I also wasn't thrilled that the screenplay made the Priscilla and Kay characters look like complete idiots.
Fortunately, the film does have the stylish Alan J. Pakula behind the camera who, with the aid of a solid cast and some first rate production values, keeps this story watchable with some stark cinematic pictures and some arresting camerawork that actually make the film seem more important than it is and almost allows the viewer to forget plot holes that you can drive a truck through...I was initially disappointed that we never learned exactly what happened behind the closed doors that fateful night of the switch or if either of the ladies were aware of what happened, though I found it hard to believe that these women had sex with men other than their husbands and didn't know it. Of course, this all became irrelevant rather quickly and a scorecard is needed to keep up with everything.
Pakula's sharp directorial eye is very evident here as is his ability to pull great performances from actors. The two Kevins really deliver here, with standout work from Spacey, who is just dazzling committing to this slightly unhinged character with a gusto that's hard to resist. The film features terrific cinematography and editing. Michael Smalls' music is a little much at times but it serves the story. Sadly, the story is what really hurts this one...I think the story set up by the premise would have been a lot more interesting than the story that was actually told.
1992's Consenting Adults begins as a titillating cinematic peek behind the white picket fences of suburbia, but eventually degenerates into a standard murder mystery that defies logic and doesn't stand a lot of scrutiny.
Richard and Priscilla (Kevin Kline, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) become fast friends with their new neighbors Eddie and Kay (Kevin Spacey, Rebecca Miller) and the relationship progresses to a point where it is implied that Richard is attracted to Kay and Eddie is attracted to Priscilla. Eddie actually talks Richard into getting up in the middle of night and sneaking into each other's bedrooms, resulting in a tragedy we don't see coming and the struggle for Richard to retain his potentially destroyed existence.
Matthew Chapman's screenplay starts off quite brilliantly as we see two couples getting a little too close and we see where this is going, but this is where the writing errs in my opinion. I was expecting a different story to be told than the one that was told. A probing psychological drama could have resulted from next door neighbors cheating on their wives and how this one night methodically destroys both marriages, but instead we get a rather conventional story about murder for money that gets ridiculously convoluted. I also wasn't thrilled that the screenplay made the Priscilla and Kay characters look like complete idiots.
Fortunately, the film does have the stylish Alan J. Pakula behind the camera who, with the aid of a solid cast and some first rate production values, keeps this story watchable with some stark cinematic pictures and some arresting camerawork that actually make the film seem more important than it is and almost allows the viewer to forget plot holes that you can drive a truck through...I was initially disappointed that we never learned exactly what happened behind the closed doors that fateful night of the switch or if either of the ladies were aware of what happened, though I found it hard to believe that these women had sex with men other than their husbands and didn't know it. Of course, this all became irrelevant rather quickly and a scorecard is needed to keep up with everything.
Pakula's sharp directorial eye is very evident here as is his ability to pull great performances from actors. The two Kevins really deliver here, with standout work from Spacey, who is just dazzling committing to this slightly unhinged character with a gusto that's hard to resist. The film features terrific cinematography and editing. Michael Smalls' music is a little much at times but it serves the story. Sadly, the story is what really hurts this one...I think the story set up by the premise would have been a lot more interesting than the story that was actually told.