Explores what love really means

baumer

Warning, may be some spoilers

Indecent Proposal is a film that knows exactly how someone feels when it comes to jealousy.  There is a great line in the film after Demi Moore comes back from her encounter with gazillionaire Robert Redford.  Her husband, played perfectly by Woody Harlesson, is asking her questions that don't need to be answered.  Because if they are, it will put a damper in their marriage.  But he persists and finally Demi shouts out to him, " If I tell you he wasn't any good then I'm a liar.  If I tell you that he was then I'm a whore. "  What a brilliantly written line and it is one that lends a perfect ear to what the film is about in most senses.  Jealousy is a powerful emotion but being broke and in love is just as powerful on the other end of the scale.  

What is so great about this film is that is makes us all question what we would do in that exact same situation.  Would you let your wife sleep with a man for one million dollars?  Could you look at it and say that it was only one night and you can deal with it?  Would you say that your marriage is strong enough to overcome something so meaningless?  And that is the key issue right there.  Is it really that meaningless?  If you are married and in love ( if you are together in a monogamous relationship), is there ever a time when sex is meaningless enough to overlook, even if all of your financial problems are solved in the aftermath?

Indecent Proposal is a great film in almost every sense.  The actors are great, especially Oliver Platt who has a cameo as their lawyer and he gets all the laughs.  The direction is great as it never gets anywhere close to pornographic, and it lets the audience decide for themselves what happened on that fateful night.  When you look at the whole concept of the film, you know it could get cheesy if handled poorly and irresponcibly.  But it never does.  It stays on course and delivers the goods.  I highly recommend this film and I think it is good to watch it with someone that you love.  It will invoke some very interesting conversations after words.  But don't watch it with them if you are afraid of the answers that you might get.  That, to me is good film making.  Something that leaves you discussing it long after it is over.  Indecent Proposal does that.

score 8/10

baumer 12 August 1999

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw0323416/