Uma Noite no Paraíso

...it's not totally bad and it had a certain naughtiness to it before the "me too" movement. It seems that Christopher Atkins' body is the focus of criticism about this flick, but nobody seems to comment on Lesley Anne Warren's performance, which is credible, considering the weak screenplay provided by Joan Tewkesbury. The film could have been better if Rick wasn't the only one of Faye's students moonlighting as a stripper, particularly if another student was PASSING in her class! Still, "A Night in Heaven" isn't as bad a film as other attempt to make it appear. It's on a par with Carl Reiner's 1987 film "Summer School," starring Mark Harmon.

It's really too bad that people think of "A Night In Heaven" as 'the male stripper movie,' because it's really not that at all. Yes the wife has an affair with her student, who happens to be a stripper, but this accounts for maybe 10 minutes of screen time. At it's center is a believable study of a marriage on the rocks, after a husband loses his job, and begins to completely alienate his wife. Lesley Ann Warren is good in her role as Faye, the wife who begins to feel insecure, and undesirable after her husband shuts her out. When she finds herself attracting the attention of one of her young, handsome students (Chris Atkins) she resists as best she can, but soon an affair ensues, that might possibly have some serious consequences.

The interesting thing about the movie is how the husband and wife interact. They have such different views of what is really happening. "A Night In Heaven" doesn't dissolve into a smutty exploitation film, nor does it deteriorate into some 'revenge flick' at the end. The husband is actually perceptive enough to see that his wife's affair was perhaps, his fault. Directed by the man behind the original "Rocky," some qualities of that film are evident here, as well as some themes. It's physical, and passionate, and it has a kind of urban grittiness about it. An odd, obscure film from the 80's, worth seeing for some quality drama and good performances...and yes, some very sexy scenes too..

Christopher Atkins! Lesley Ann Warren!! Eighties top-ten hits! For goodness sakes, the guy who played Tony HOSTED Dance Fever!! I remember that I had a crush on him.

This movie is so totally steeped in Eighties pop-culture. From the first scene where Whitney shuts down the computer (get a load of that thing?) to the hot pants worn by Atkins. The Eighties (especially the early Eighties) was a time when the lines blurred between being gay and straight. Ahh those heady pre-AIDS days...

At one point in the movie, Ricky (Atkins)responds to his sister complaining about his sleeping around, "I'm 21 years old, I'm right where I'm supposed to be..." And the fashions, man, the FASHIONS. The Peter Pan collars worn by Warren. The red dress complete with puffy sleeves when she goes to the strip club for the first time. The big hair! Pick ANY item worn by Tony... All Eighties, all the time!! And finally - the hottest sex scene that is STILL hot by today's standards!! The Big Easy comes close.... close, but not quite.

It's not a great movie. I don't think it's even a mediocre movie. But I DO think it's an IMPORTANT movie. One day our children will watch this movie and think... "what where they THINKING?!??!"

I know that in no means I'm trashing eighties movies. I grew up on eighty movies, and I have seen a lot of trash and a lot of superb films. When I think of A Night In Heaven, I think of Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Weird Science, even that flunky movie Johnny Depp did with Morrow....Private Resort or something like that! I would depict this movie and dissect it with criticism, but I can't because I actually enjoyed this movie. What separates this movie from others that were in the eighties junkyard is that this actually had a convincing plot. Yes, I think Lesley Anne Warren is sexy, no I don't think Christopher Atkins is a heartthrob and I don't see what the big deal about him was, considering he is just that star that appeared with Brooke Shields in The Blue Lagoon.

What I like about this movie is that it doesn't play out as your ordinary dumb film like most eighties movies. You don't see anyone you think is from Revenge Of The Nerds or Just One Of The Guys(which I must confess I liked also), there's not much stupidity, no brain cells should be damaged in the process of watching this and one of my favorite scenes is actually in the beginning with Logan on the funky bike while Bryan Adams sings the theme song...after that I figured I was in for a 80 minute treat that I consider a very underrated, tarnished, bashed movie that didn't make the grade for reasons I believe just had that quality of being toooooo eighties!!! I recommend A Night In Heaven for it's chemistry between Lesley and Christopher and for something that's not monotonous and filled with low humor and bad acting, I recommend it also for how poignant love is between this teacher and her student and by the way who said she passed him just because she made love to him?

Oh and by the way you will love the ending which is another ingredient to the mix of this very, very underrated movie!!!

Lesley Ann Warren is a very good actress, she appears in A NIGHT IN HEAVEN as a beautiful evergreen woman. If the movie itself is not unforgettable, the Warren's part is a thing you always remember. The love scene with actor Christopher Atkins is very well filmed and give the image of a soft erotism. Unfortunately, the movie was not imported in france (I have bought the cassette by amazon). Good surprise too is to hear canadian pop singer Bryan Adams in the score.