Hello movie review...

"Goodbye Lover"
Overall Rating: ***


"Goodbye Lover" should probably be rated XXX. Not for the sex scenes; while about every third scene could be called a "sex scene," "Goodbye Lover" shows almost no nudity (though the characters do plenty while fully--or at least partly--clothed). No, it's only that no other rating is appropriate for a movie with so many double-crosses in it.

There isn't much to like about Ben Dunmore (Don Johnson). When we first meet him, he has sex with his sister-in-law, Sandra (Patricia Arquette)--in a church no less. Subsequently, we learn he is an executive for a public relations firm--his job consists mainly of making a senator look like a good family man after that senator was caught with a prostitute. If it's possible to cheat on someone you're having an adulterous affair with, then that would be a good way to describe his other affair with co-worker Peggy Blaine (Mary-Louise Parker)--whom he treats like dirt. As for his alcoholic brother, Jake (Dermot Mulroney), he also treats him like dirt--beyond having an affiar with Jake's wife. All in all, it shouldn't be surprising that murder will find its way into Ben's life.

"Goodbye Lover" has several key problems. There are no truly likeable characters. After the first murder, the question of who's having sex with whom and who's trying to kill whom quickly becomes very complicated--I found myself somewhat hoping the protagonist would get away--but only somewhat. The movie also starts off slowly; it tries--only somewhat successfully--to hold the audience's interest with several extremely steamy scenes, but it never quite makes up for the slow start. These two flaws are very serious.

That's a shame, because the rest of the film holds its own. Most of the actors are adequate; while there aren't any glaringly bad performances, there are a few noteworthy good ones. Ellen DeGeneres and Ray McKinnon are particularly good as the police officers trying to unravel the case--but with radically different views of the world (DeGeneres' character is the most cynical cop you could imagine, while McKinnon's is a hick who blames every problem in the world on alcohol); the result is an interaction that gets many laughs and steals every scene they're in. The real star is Patricia Arquette. Her character must shed both crocodile tears and the genuine article--and Arquette does both convincingly. She is perfectly cast.

The story also holds the audience's interest, despite the slow start. The plot makes twists that you'll never see coming, but make sense when they happen. As the characters scheme against each other, their plans form an intricate plot. Small details work to reveal characters' traits. For instance, Sandra's apparent piety is just a hoax (as the church scene demonstrates)--but if she can lie to her minister, who else can and will she deceive? There are also a number of small details that work well, such as the appropriately named Dunmore family and the TV set in background playing--what else in a crime film--an episode of "Dragnet," On a technical level, the film is generally well done--for instance, the first scene in the church is filmed in such a way that we see the oblivious choir interspersed with the sex scene--one of them commenting on Ben, who is the organist (not realizing the music is actually recorded), even ironically says "boy, he's good."

As the title probably hints, "Goodbye Lover" is not suitable for children. There is pervasive, strong sexual content, copious strong language, and on-screen violence, including murder. Many parents will probably find the cynical attitude towards church extremely inappropriate for children, as well.

I have a feeling of déjà vu writing this review. As with last week's review of "Go," I'm discussing a semi-comedy crime film, and as with "Go," you won't go wrong seeing "Goodbye Lover" if you already want to see it, are going out with friends who want to see it, or have already seen everything else. It's good, but by no means the best thing playing.

Title: "Goodbye Lover"
Release date: April 16, 1999

MPAA rating: R
Overall rating: ***

Aprox. run time: 102 min.
Director: Roland Joffé
Writers: Ron Peer (story and screenplay), Joel Cohen, Alec Sokolow (screenplay only)
Stars: Patricia Arquette, Dermot Mulroney, Don Johnson

Original URL: http://www.geocities.com/reviewsbyjohn/ByeLover.htm
Added to blog site: 7/28/09