Fantasmes

Columbo playing the tuba? Yes, that's one of the highlights of this delightful and funny adventure, in which a famous sex therapist crosses wits with our hero. Another great moment is Peter Falk giving advice to a bunch of psychiatrists! This really is one of the best outings for Columbo and will delight fans, both old and new.

The '80's Columbo movies aren't really known as the best one within the series but this movie forms a good and enjoyable exception. No big surprises, since the movie is directed by James Frawley, who always knew how to make a good and entertaining Columbo movie.

It's also a movie with one of the best Columbo movie-titles. Sex and Columbo in one sentence is of course something completely strange, funny and interesting, before you even start to learn what this movie is all about. When a successful sex therapist learns that her lover is cheating on her she murders him. The fact that Columbo's main suspect is a sex therapist brings the lieutenant in some awkward and embarrassing positions, which of course works out well for the movie its amusement level. It's also a surprising sensual movie for a Columbo movie entry. Normally the movies are quite tame, old '30's movie- and TV style, with its romance.

The movie has a good build up and is also otherwise fine constructed. Despite the fact that the Columbo character shows up fairly late into the movie, the movie isn't among one of the worse ones, like normally so very often is the case when Columbo first enters so late into the story.

Lindsay Crouse played a fine role opposite Peter Falk. She gives away a good performance and her character is a good one. She is an actress who mostly acts in television projects and isn't too well known, despite the fact that she in 1985 received an Oscar nomination for her role in "Places in the Heart", in which she starred together with Ed Harris, Sally Field, John Malkovich and Danny Glover.

It was simply a pleasant movie to watch, due to its pace, story, settings, the very much present humor, characters and performances and directing from James Frawley.

8/10

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Lindsey Crouse's tour-de-force performance as a nationally known sex therapist who is betrayed by fiancee Stephen Macht (himself, delightfully slimy) has a special place in my heart. The story is extremely well told with lots of humor and terrific supporting performances. The murder plan is ingenious and memorable executed. Columbo has a field day with the sex therapists. Columbo playing the tuba was a lot of fun also. The look Crouse comes up with for her courtesan alter ego is stunning. The scene where Columbo holds up a social event while he scans the Ladies' Room for clues is an all-time classic. The ending scene with the fireplace is very compellingly set up. This is one Columbo that should not be missed.

Undergoing a personality/dress transformation that would rise the male libido, a sex therapist seeks revenge on her unfaithful lover. As she matches wits with the Peter Falk's wily "Columbo," guest star Lindsay Crouse is brilliant as the murderous doctor. The evocative musical score adds much to the story line and is appropriate seductive.

Crouse's quick change from the straight-laced doctor to the no-holds-barred temptress is worth the viewing alone. Further evidence that we all have a bit of a villainy in us, just lying beneath the surface.

This is one of the best of the television specials featuring Falk in his Emmy-winning role.

I as I have said many times have always been a great fan of Columbo. While few of the later episodes are as amazing as the pre-1989 episodes, there are about five or six worthy ones and Sex and the Married Detective is one of them. Stylishly filmed and atmospherically scored, the episode can't be faulted production-values-wise. The story is always interesting, with many a delightful scene like Columbo playing the tuba and one of the cleverer murder scenarios of the later episodes, and the dialogue is clever with wit, ingenious humour and tension to savour. The support cast are among the better ones of the later entries of Columbo in my opinion, Stephen Macht impresses with his sliminess, while Peter Falk is brilliant as ever(then again Falk rarely disappointed as Columbo, even when Columbo was not as well written or if the episode wasn't up to standard he always did his best), and Lindsay Crouse is superb in a well-written role, one of the more memorable guest villain performance of the pro-1989 episodes for me. Overall, a great, sexy entry. 9/10 Bethany Cox