Indecent Proposal «««½
R, 117m. 1993
Cast & Credits: Robert Redford (John Gage), Demi Moore (Diana Murphy), Woody Harrelson (David Murphy), Seymour Cassel (Mr. Shackleford), Oliver Platt (Jeremy). Screenplay by Amy Holden Jones based on the novel by Jack Engelhard. Directed by Adrian Lyne.
R, 117m. 1993
Cast & Credits: Robert Redford (John Gage), Demi Moore (Diana Murphy), Woody Harrelson (David Murphy), Seymour Cassel (Mr. Shackleford), Oliver Platt (Jeremy). Screenplay by Amy Holden Jones based on the novel by Jack Engelhard. Directed by Adrian Lyne.
Movie directors are sometimes synonymous with the types of films they make. Director Adrian Lyne is one such example.
If you were to look at Lyne’s list of credits, from "Flashdance" (1983) and "9 1/2 Weeks" (1986) to "Fatal Attraction" (1987), you would find the subject in every one of his movies has been about relationships, sex, and vice versa.
Lyne’s latest film, "Indecent Proposal", is no different. The movie’s title is a perfect line for a mystery thriller, but it isn’t. The revelation here is the picture deals more with the moral dilemmas people sometimes face when it comes to money than it is about sex.
Enter David and Diana Murphy (Woody Harrelson and Demi Moore), a young married couple of the 1990s who become victims of the Reagan/Bush recession.
David, a freelance architect, has found himself out of a job, while Diana hasn’t had much luck in the real estate business.
The problem with the Murphys is their marriage follows the rule of Murphy’s Law which is "Everything that can go wrong will.” With debts piling up faster than they can count, the couple head to Las Vegas in a last-ditch attempt to win enough cash to pay them off.
After losing all their winnings, the couple meet John Cage (Robert Redford), a handsome, mysterious, gentleman and high risks gambler who borrows Diana for a game of craps.
He eventually thanks the Murphys for bringing him luck by paying for their costly, lavish hotel room and makes them an offer they can’t refuse over a game of pool.
“I’ll give you one million dollars if you let me have your wife for a night,” Cage says to David.
What follows is a unique twist of fate where the three characters wind up getting hurt as they ponder the decisions they make.
Lyne incorporates a couple of clever aspects from his past films to flesh out the characters. In an early scene reminiscent to the knife welding sequence in "Fatal Attraction", Diana goes after David with a butter knife because he is so messy. She has almost the same sexual appetites Kim Basinger’s character in "9 1/2 Weeks" exhibited. Like Basinger’s character, who was sexually compromised by Mickey Rourke in that movie, Diana also feels used when she sacrifices herself to Cage.
Redford is probably one of the nicest looking bad guys you will ever see. He is like the Cary Grant of the ‘70s, ‘80s, and ‘90s. Watching him over the years, I have found it hard to hate the types of immoral characters he’s played from an outlaw in "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" (1969) to a surveillance wizard in "Sneakers" (1992).
Playing Cage as a cunning, debonair gambler is something Redford has done before in films like "Havana" (1990) and "The Sting" (1973). Cage is a lot like Rourke’s character in "9 1/2 Weeks." He is wealthy, never tries to draw any attention to himself, and stays in the background, never revealing his past.
Harrelson, making a break into feature films now that NBC’s "Cheers" (1992-1993) officially ended its 11-year run, has the potential to be a dramatically promising actor. His portrayal of David as a caring, concerned, and jealous husband is someone I felt sympathy for.
The clever, sometimes witty, script takes into account the shady moral values people sometimes have. When Diana asks David about taking Cage up on his offer, she casually says, “Well we had affairs before we were married. Besides, look at all the things this money could do for us.”
In another scene, David calls his lawyer (Oliver Platt) to negotiate the deal Cage has set up.
“Don’t you know that you never set up a deal without your lawyer,” he says. “I know we could have got at least $2 million for her.”
The one thing I have noticed in all of Lyne’s movies is the way he choreographs the love scenes. The sequences always have an alluring, seductive nature to them. He continues that trademark here; maybe even going a step further since Moore’s body, (or her double), exhibits a great looking tan.
Lyne also does one thing I have never seen done in other card playing films. Using different camera angles and close-ups, he manages to hold the viewer’s interest and turns a game of craps and roulette into something exciting to watch. It’s almost as if he wants the audience to root for the Murphys to win.
"Indecent Proposal" redefines the familiar statement, “Money cannot buy love and happiness.”
It is also one of those rare love stories where the end song, “A Love So Beautiful,” sung by Roy Orbison, fits the tone of the entire movie.
Originally Published: ©4/7/93
If you were to look at Lyne’s list of credits, from "Flashdance" (1983) and "9 1/2 Weeks" (1986) to "Fatal Attraction" (1987), you would find the subject in every one of his movies has been about relationships, sex, and vice versa.
Lyne’s latest film, "Indecent Proposal", is no different. The movie’s title is a perfect line for a mystery thriller, but it isn’t. The revelation here is the picture deals more with the moral dilemmas people sometimes face when it comes to money than it is about sex.
Enter David and Diana Murphy (Woody Harrelson and Demi Moore), a young married couple of the 1990s who become victims of the Reagan/Bush recession.
David, a freelance architect, has found himself out of a job, while Diana hasn’t had much luck in the real estate business.
The problem with the Murphys is their marriage follows the rule of Murphy’s Law which is "Everything that can go wrong will.” With debts piling up faster than they can count, the couple head to Las Vegas in a last-ditch attempt to win enough cash to pay them off.
After losing all their winnings, the couple meet John Cage (Robert Redford), a handsome, mysterious, gentleman and high risks gambler who borrows Diana for a game of craps.
He eventually thanks the Murphys for bringing him luck by paying for their costly, lavish hotel room and makes them an offer they can’t refuse over a game of pool.
“I’ll give you one million dollars if you let me have your wife for a night,” Cage says to David.
What follows is a unique twist of fate where the three characters wind up getting hurt as they ponder the decisions they make.
Lyne incorporates a couple of clever aspects from his past films to flesh out the characters. In an early scene reminiscent to the knife welding sequence in "Fatal Attraction", Diana goes after David with a butter knife because he is so messy. She has almost the same sexual appetites Kim Basinger’s character in "9 1/2 Weeks" exhibited. Like Basinger’s character, who was sexually compromised by Mickey Rourke in that movie, Diana also feels used when she sacrifices herself to Cage.
Redford is probably one of the nicest looking bad guys you will ever see. He is like the Cary Grant of the ‘70s, ‘80s, and ‘90s. Watching him over the years, I have found it hard to hate the types of immoral characters he’s played from an outlaw in "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" (1969) to a surveillance wizard in "Sneakers" (1992).
Playing Cage as a cunning, debonair gambler is something Redford has done before in films like "Havana" (1990) and "The Sting" (1973). Cage is a lot like Rourke’s character in "9 1/2 Weeks." He is wealthy, never tries to draw any attention to himself, and stays in the background, never revealing his past.
Harrelson, making a break into feature films now that NBC’s "Cheers" (1992-1993) officially ended its 11-year run, has the potential to be a dramatically promising actor. His portrayal of David as a caring, concerned, and jealous husband is someone I felt sympathy for.
The clever, sometimes witty, script takes into account the shady moral values people sometimes have. When Diana asks David about taking Cage up on his offer, she casually says, “Well we had affairs before we were married. Besides, look at all the things this money could do for us.”
In another scene, David calls his lawyer (Oliver Platt) to negotiate the deal Cage has set up.
“Don’t you know that you never set up a deal without your lawyer,” he says. “I know we could have got at least $2 million for her.”
The one thing I have noticed in all of Lyne’s movies is the way he choreographs the love scenes. The sequences always have an alluring, seductive nature to them. He continues that trademark here; maybe even going a step further since Moore’s body, (or her double), exhibits a great looking tan.
Lyne also does one thing I have never seen done in other card playing films. Using different camera angles and close-ups, he manages to hold the viewer’s interest and turns a game of craps and roulette into something exciting to watch. It’s almost as if he wants the audience to root for the Murphys to win.
"Indecent Proposal" redefines the familiar statement, “Money cannot buy love and happiness.”
It is also one of those rare love stories where the end song, “A Love So Beautiful,” sung by Roy Orbison, fits the tone of the entire movie.
Originally Published: ©4/7/93
