Lie with Me

I saw Lie with Me at another recent screening and I loved it. As a 30 something woman I felt that this movie really spoke to me. I got from it all the things I loved about Lost in Translation and the Sunset/Sunrise movies with Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy. Visually I think it is stunning, and the sex is really hot, but never gratuitous or porn-like. The supporting characters are strong as well and nicely developed in very economical scenes. The film never drags and there is not a single wasted frame. Eric Balfour smolders and I totally bought Lauren Lee Smith's journey of self-discovery. I highly recommend this film – Hope it gets released soon!

This movie disappointed me a bit, as I expected a lot more when I saw the trailer. We cannot say it's totally disinteresting, because I think the main idea is good and quite original, but the way this movie was done is far from being great. It's too slow and dialogues hardly exist. At some moments it turns out boring…

In my opinion it pretends to be a complex movie and tries to mess up with ours heads when it totally changes the feelings which are supposed to exist in a relationship between two people just by sex, but it didn't achieve that goal, because it's too superficial at some crucial moments and characters aren't themselves too deep. There isn't really a plot, but a sequence of scenes, most of them sex scenes! But just sex is not enough to keep a relationship or even to make a movie (except if it is a porno…), and sometimes this film seems to be just sex!

Beside that, the entire "story" is too centered in the main character. From the beginning it seems we are seeing a monologue, a "secret diary", where she tells us her intimacy, her desires, her obsession about sex and, most important of all, her incapacity to love! But her "secret diary" is not made from words…sex is the only way to communicate! Once again, it's not enough

I was truly surprised by the emotional depth and haunting quality of this film, which could easily have felt merely cheap and tawdry because of the abundant nudity and almost explicit sex that dominates it. The excellence of the performances, however, acts as a counterbalance to the sexual titillation.

In acting this tale of the struggle between sheer lust and real love, both leads radiate a subtlety of emotion through facial expression and body posture that makes the largely non-conversational characters "speak" in articulated ways. The sparse voice-overs effectively assist the development of the relationship. In a society where wide sexual experimentation at early ages exposes many to the pitfalls this film explores, this is a strong statement about the human hunger for love and real relationship.

I liked the characters in this film and the actors playing them. But the truth is this film falls short in its effort to examine sex addiction vs. the complexity of love and relationships. I suppose it is easy to dismiss this work as a well produced soft porn flick. It seems to want to be much more. The problem is the characters are not all that well developed. We do not know what the two principal characters find in each other that will transcend their heavy breathing. They say they love each other eventually, but who knows why? Frankly I have know idea what the lead female character has to offer in terms of substance. At least the male character is seen reading Steppenwolf and not the cliff notes version, either. So I guess we can deduce he has depth and intelligence. The female lead, however, seems to work in photo developing shop as a clerk. Yet she has quite a varied wardrobe which she somehow is able to afford. That's about it in terms of her personality and depth. But they do have attractive bods and I must guiltily admit I enjoyed that. If the sex scenes were edited out, the theater would be empty half way through any screening!!!

Erotic, sexy and seductive, the hot project of softcore "Lie With Me" is not a complete triumph because there's a flawed plot that fails to convince the more experienced viewer. As a drama, there's some in's and out's but it's mostly out; as a softcore, it's ten times better than many of its genre because a) the cast is deeply involved with their nudity/sex scenes, and they're good looking to boot; b) the sequences are hot, nicely shot and those are the moments worthy of view. Eric Balfour is insanely hot, does a lot of full-frontal scenes (huge debate on the boards about...nevermind) and the words I need to describe him with accuracy cannot be used here. However, a movie that seems filled with a purpose shouldn't depend exclusively on the sex, no matter how intense and awesome those scenes are. That's why the thumbs down to this.

Moving a little closer: Leila (Lauren Lee Smith) is a beautiful young woman with a relentless sex-drive going from one man to another in order to satisfy her sexual needs. It's all about being casual. One day, she meets the handsome David (Balfour) and things get very interesting. They both know what the other is all about, so they go forward with just one night stand that evolves to a few more days until it changes the whole game when...David falls for the girl. Back and forth between their involvement, we follow the lives those characters are leading, with David taking care of his sick father; and Leila's parents getting through a divorce - I think the film could go without those subplots, they're infinite sad.

Gently touching you: the movie is told by Leila's perspective with her thoughts about losing herself through sex and all the effect it has on her. And that's why the movie focus on her doubt to make a decision: sticking by David and finally finding something new or going back to the arms of strangers. With a better script, this part would be fantastic.

Now, I must push you away: The problem lies in the fact that it doesn't build anything deep that can actually provide that Leila and David are in fact, in love. They only had the basics with each other, what they knew the other could provide (sex) and somehow he's the one who cares so much about her without knowing her (but he tries!); and she's the one so scared about closeness, running away from him and later on going back to her hedonistic search for pleasure and not getting it anymore(the 'meltodwn masturbation' scene is real low and sad). To the writers (and most audiences, I'm afraid) this is a proof of love, building a relationship: a different touch, body to body and there you have it, love grows. I've seen this happen in life but it doesn't mean I truly trust it. Has to be more. Gotta be a little more cerebral, you have to know the inside behind the facade, the feelings, the vicissitudes of a person. Sex and intimacy is a big and wonderful step but it's just a step to several others; and sometimes you can even remove it from the equation and still have a meaningful love and understanding of the loved one.

It's nice on the eyes but it's so simplistic, slightly mushy and in desperate need of a good dialogue scene. Where are the bloody words? Though I don't fancy much analogies and stuff, but I have to use one here. "Lie With Me" is like that dreamy hot person you fool around for a night, you two have a great time doing fun stuff in bed and whatever the place but when it comes to talking and sharing other experiences that doesn't revolve around intercourse, it's a big fat meh. Not a complete waste of time but you may feel a little disappointed afterwards. 5/10