Pour quelques minutes de bonheur

"Behind the Red Door" tells of a woman (Sedgwick) who visits her estranged brother (Sutherland) only to learn he is dying. Much more than just another "dying" flick and a surprisingly fine film for a director with such a short resume, "...Red Door" wrings powerful performances from the pair of leads, avoids the usual lugubrious tear-jerking, shows solid cinematic style and artistry, and ends on a deeply profound note. Most of all, "...Red Door" fills its emotional landscape with the most beautiful of all elements - reality. An intelligently wrought flick which should be a well received by realists and sentimentalists alike. (A-)

Behind the Red Door features two wonderful, nuanced performances from Kiefer and Kyra, who make us believe they are actually brother and sister - a major achievement in itself. The film has a very haunted atmosphere that thickens and deepens as the story progresses; ultimately it's a heart-felt experience, one that rings true in a quiet, subtle way.

I'm glad to see other peoples' review are like mine. I don't think enough people have seen this movie. It was great drama, Kiefer Sutherland's performance as a dying man - forcing a reconciliation with his sister,was wonderful. He always play tough so well, naturally he would be good as this forceful ad designer perfectionist who happens to be gay and has aids. What a complex character, he played it so well. All the characters were realistic, you feel something for all of them. I highly recommend this to anyone who is interested in complex yet simple story that reminds us how important family relationships are no matter how dysfunctional it may seem.

I don't ordinarily go in for "dying" movies, but Kiefer Sutherland is so talented, I made an exception. He was excellent in this film, bringing the character to life in a most believable way. I also like Kyra Sedgwick, but all throughout, I kept picturing Julia Roberts in that role - they're so much alike, in my opinion. I always love to watch Stockard Channing, who consistently gives a fine performance. She was the shining light in "Grease", which was otherwise pablum. Her scene in BTRD with Sedgwick, where they shouted curses at each other was hysterical!

I watched this movie on cable recently because there was nothing else on at the time. The power of the film caught me by surprise--I'm amazed that it apparently didn't rate wider distribution (couldn't find a review in either of my movie guides). Its the story of a gay advertising exec (Sutherland) dying from AIDS and the complicated relationship that he has with his estranged sister (Sedgwick), a talented photographer. There are also references to the equally complicated relationships with their father (who probably murdered their mother). The realistic portrayal of these relationships is what drives this movie, bolstered by the outstanding performances of the actors. Sutherland is powerful as a dying man who is terrified and shows it by his alternating pleas for help and outbursts of anger at being helpless. Sedgwick is equally good as the sister who is cowed by her brother but trying to piece together the past and find resolution to the situation. The writer/director dedicated the film to "my brother Roy" and one wonders if this is the reason the film rings so true.