Atração Fatal

Given that I see about 150-200 movies a year (mostly in the theater, but also on demand), it is absolutely amazing that I had never seen "Fatal Attraction", originally released in 1987 (119 min.), yes 33 years ago! So the other night I was channel-surfing for something good to watch, and there it was about to start on SHO. I decided to tune in.

No point in introducing the film's plot, which everyone knows. So let me just add a couple of general observations. First, I was surprised how good the film actually was. I'm not sure where I had gotten the idea in my head that this probably wasn't going to be all that good, but it is an intense, very intense, stalker-drama. Second, the three lead performances are rock solid, led by a believable crazy-over-the-top Glenn Close. Her transformation from lover to stalker to hater is absolutely spine-tingling. Third, the movie of course feels a bit dated when you see not a single communication exchange on mobile devices. Instead, old landline phones actually ring out loud. No texting of course. Fourth, after watching this the other night, I read up a bit on the movie's history and legacy, and it was then that I learned that the movie's original ending was changed drastically into what we now know as the ending. The original ending sounds sounds more logical to me that what it eventually would become, although I can certainly see the shock value in the new ending.

Bottom line, this movie was a pleasant surprise all around, and these 2 hours just flew by. Glad that I finally joined the rest of the cinema-loving crowd and now have seen "Fatal Attraction", 33 years after the facts. If you are one of those who like me hadn't seen this yet. I'd readily suggest you check it out and draw your own conclusion.

Prior to viewing Fatal Attraction I was familiar with the film. I saw clips of it here and there (on YouTube, TV specials), I saw the semi-remake/rip-off starring Beyonce, Obsessed, and I am aware of the huge reputation surrounding the film. There were no surprises.I can imagine being in the '80s, sitting in the theaters expecting a sweeping love story and being overcome with surprise and adrenaline rush when I realized its true nature. In a perfect world that may be possible, but in reality I am forced to be friendly from a distance.

Don't get me wrong, it's a great movie, probably the best thriller from the '80s, but being so immersed in the hype did took away the fun that everyone gossiped about opening weekend in 1987. In fact, Fatal Attraction, was the first of its kind that spawned countless "romantic" thrillers since. It's mystifying to think of the ways the world of thrillers has changed since the origin of the genre, but in other way stayed exactly the same. Same plot formula, same twists, different style, different noise levels. The bottom line is most haven't gotten much better than this.

Glenn Close has said that she doesn't view her character, Alex as the villain in the story. That's typical of an actor playing the antagonist in a film because actors have to justify their characters as human beings to be able to portray them successfully. But I am actually taking the actor's side this time. I felt an enormous amount of empathy towards Alex. She's a lonely woman, she's really lonely, and that's the cause of all her malicious actions that follow. In ways she was the victim. Close embodies Alex, making the loneliness enough for the viewer to link themselves to, but not too much to overwhelm the viewer. When the script calls for Close to be overt, man, does she bring it, though.

My favorite performance, maybe even over Close's, was Anne Archer. Knowing she got an Academy Award nomination prior to watching the film, I assumed she'd get a scene to cry and throw a fit and that's what scored the nomination. She does well in that scene I anticipated, but I think she's exceptional from start to finish. Warm, when need be. Sorrowful, when need be. Douglas is the trio-member who doesn't stick out as often, but when his moment finally comes for the character to shine, you realize he was shining the entire time, we just didn't notice.

The killer aspect of Fatal Attraction is the directing from Adrian Lyne. Lyne layers fear on top of characters, not the plot necessarily, but the fictitious characters themselves. A particularly wicked moment of direction involves a telephone ringing. The telephone is what we're focusing on, but Lyne keeps the audience's engagement with the telephone on whether Archer's character will answer it and what Close's might say to her. Lyne takes his time and builds real suspense that often results in a misleading outburst of intensity. Lyne also makes the intelligent decision to let the sex scenes happen, but not to let them define the film. He puts the characters, the story, and most importantly, the suspense ahead of the raunchy sex scenes.

The film editing is crisp, pinpointed directly at Lyne's vision of the suspense. It keeps the film tantalizingly alive. The film is aided by a piercing score the scorches the suspense volumes louder than it had a right to be. Although moving the story along at a nice-pace is the ultimate intention of the thriller, symbolism can be found such as the shot of Douglas leaving Close's apartment the morning after the affair, adding to the basic, almost-generic message of the film: don't cheat. The ending isn't the original ending, though it's one heck of a conclusion and a heart-pounding thrill fest that shouldn't be controversial. The original ending is a sterling, twisted scene as well, but it's one that's not nearly as exciting as the final ending.

Originality is lacks in Hollywood today, but Fatal Attraction remains as an original roller coaster jolt, which other films have adapted and cheapened to make a few bucks. They know it works with the audience so why not? That being said, the script is really good. The dialogue is coated with richness, while still being realistic (they speak the way people actually speak in the real world). There are tons of twists packed into the screenplay, many of which pay off. The ones that don't work as well feel awkward and downgrade the flick a tad, but nothing that can stop the reputation of the thriller.

Being the first of its kind cannot be easy, but Fatal Attraction maintains the respect and class of it's massive reputation. It's filled with startling twists, great acting, and a director reaching shocking heights of the suspense genre. It's worth seeing for the terrifying finale which has stood the test of time extremely well. As much as I appreciated the technical elements, I wish I wasn't so familiar with it before actually seeing it which would've allowed myself to be swept up in its madness. Maybe this is a flashing light that we shouldn't familiarize ourselves with something so much that it becomes too late to fathom the art in its purest state.

Rating 8.5/10

Grade: A

You don't hear much about this film anymore, but in its day, this was the most-talked about movie of the year. It was a 'favorite topic of conversation about the office water cooler' for a number of weeks. At the time, it was a shocker. Nowaways.....who knows? As we become more and more desensitized to violence, sex and profanity, it takes a lot more to shock us.

Still, this movie had memorable moments that have stayed with us who first saw it at the theater 20 years ago. Most of those memorable scenes, if not all of them, involve Glenn Close's character, "Alex Forrest." Man, this is a woman who would not be denied what she wanted: in this case, married man Michael Douglas.

No sense going into all the details. Everyone knows them by now, anyway. Looking back, I think the film was a good lesson for men (or women) thinking about cheating on their spouses and assuming nothing bad will happen as a result. Men may commit more crimes, but that old adage about a "woman scorned" certainly is demonstrated here in spades! Douglas' character, "Dan Gallagher," certainly can attest to that, but he is anything but a sympathetic character. Both actors do a superb job in here, but kudos also to the rest of the Gallagher family, played by Anne Archer (wife "Beth") and Ellen Hamilton Latzen (daughter "Ellen.")

Also, the cinematography shouldn't be overlooked. The widescreen DVD certainly brought out how nicely this film was shot and directed. This two-hour film keeps your attention all the way. The only thing I would change is the language, toning it down a bit. Otherwise, it's a classic thriller and one of the most famous films in the '80s.

The plot of Fatal Attraction is well known and supposedly, when the movie was released, it terrified married men to the extent that it reduced adultery rates, or so the story goes. I find that mildly amusing and hard to verify.

What is more interesting is the character of Alex, portrayed skillfully by Glenn Close. The fact that Close didn't have the typical physique to play a "femme fatale" makes her role even more compelling, demonstrating the unpredictability of attraction. Her Alex is only mildly attractive but exudes a wild, deranged sexuality. Her frizzy hair, lack of eyebrows, and pale mouth didn't enhance her appearance, but Alex compensated with aggressive outfits and a matching attitude.

Some have tried to frame her as a feminist icon, but Alex is just a deranged, damaged criminal. At the start of the movie, it's clear that she's leading Dan where she wants him. During their dinner, Dan says, "This will end the way you want it," indicating that the idea was a no-strings-attached one-night stand between consenting adults, especially since Alex knew Dan was married.

They spend another day together because Alex insists, but Dan never gives the impression that he is in love with her or anything more than temporarily interested.

What is bizarre is Alex's change of behavior when Dan shows no further interest. From an independent professional, Alex transforms into a clingy, begging mess of a woman, which is explained vaguely, if at all.

While Dan's infidelity is not justified, I think he receives a punishment far harsher than he deserves. It's not true that he "used" Alex, who was more than willing to be used (as seen in the elevator scene). Moreover, falling out of love-or in this case, out of lust-is not a crime.

Alex turns into a violently aggressive psycho, and if the genders were reversed, everyone would side with the married person. Imagine a man harassing a former female lover with nonstop phone calls, destroying her car, and kidnapping her child. Everyone would scream "Stalker!" So why is Alex seen as a "feminist" and not a criminal?

All the lead actors were excellent, including Douglas, Archer, and Latzen, who played one of the few genuinely cute kids I've seen on screen. It's a pity about the over-the-top ending.

A white-knuckled "don't-let-this-happen-to-you" thriller that vividly demonstrates what can happen to a guy when he lets other parts of his anatomy do his thinking for him. Manhattan lawyer Dan Callagher (Mike Douglas) has it all: successful career, attractive wife, nice dog, an d a loving daughter. So why not have an extramarital fling with a woman he met at a party while the family is out of town? Sure. Just a one-night stand. No harm, no harm done. But there's something very nasty about Dan's partner in crime, because blonde Alex Forrest (Glenn Close) may have all the right moves in the sack, but she also has an elevator that doesn't go all the way to the top. So when Dan wants to shake hands and part company, Alex will have none of it, and the table is set for a one-way ticket to Looney Land...

The moral is very simple: human beings are fragile. Leading on a single female as Dan Gallagher does in this movie can result in drastic consequences. Human beings are controlled by emotions: laughter, sadness, etc... Therefore, someone in Dan Gallagher's position must realize that inviting a single young lady to a tête-à-tête in a restaurant harbors relief to her solitude and brings her into a fantasy-life. On the other hand, Alex Forrest is attractive, relatively young, cultured, and intelligent. She definitely will find someone, but I still understand her reluctance to let Dan go. Overall, this is an fantastic suspenseful edge of your seat thriller type of movie, which can also be seen as a pioneer of films of this sort. No film hit the subject of cheating quite like this.

Overall rating: 9 out of 10.