Fatal Attraction (1987)

 Fatal Attraction (1987)

Adrian Lyne’s erotic thriller Fatal Attraction is a fun, horrifying film about a predatory, neurotic woman bent on destroying one man’s life. The first two-thirds of the movie is a fun insight of the psychology behind the damaged woman’s advances. The final third, while still watchable and entertaining at times, turns into Friday the 13^th. The ending has shock value, but perhaps not for the best reasons. Alex Forrest, one of the cinema’s best villains, turned into a psychopathic murderer after some unforgivable actions such as boiling the pet bunny alive and kidnapping the six-year-old daughter and scaring her with a rollercoaster. While entertainment value is top notch for these scenes, the message is unclear. I wanted more of a psychological thriller of the first two-thirds. That said, the movie still rocks. This is one of the few erotic thrillers I did enjoy, so hats off to the team behind the feature. The performances, especially from Glenn Close, are excellent. The setup and the rising tension/dread is captured well and realistically by screenwriter James Dearden. Maurice Jarre composed the score, and I really liked his subtle, yet bone-chilling score.

Dearden had done a short film in 1980 with a very similar story, and he was charged with adapting the film to a bigger, longer Hollywood production. Nicholas Meyer was then hired to do rewrites including the ending, which made the film a huge box office success. Adrian Lyne, the man who knows how to direct films about erotic passion and sex, was then hired to direct. Originally, producers Stanley R. Jaffe and Sherry Lansing did not agree with Close as Alex Forrest. They felt like she was not sexual enough for the role. When she flew in to do a reading with Michael Douglas, she changed her looks to make her a bit unhinged. She thought she miserably failed the audition, and her career was ruined, but the producers realized they found exactly who they were looking for. I agree because Glenn Close absolutely nailed this role and created one of the most memorable villains in recent cinema history.

Dan Gallagher (Michael Douglas) seems to have the perfect, happy life. He works as a corporate lawyer for a publishing company. He is happily married to his wife, Beth (Anne Archer) and they have a six-year-old daughter. When his family leaves town for the weekend, Dan meets Alex Forrest (Glenn Close), an associate editor at one of Dan’s client’s agencies. Despite Dan’s happiness, they seemingly decide to have a one-night stand and Dan makes it clear there are no strings attached because he is married. That does not sit well with Alex because she decided that she likes him and wants to be a part of his life. She will do anything to make it happen. She might have to be passive aggressive and if Dan does not comply, she might take necessary steps to keep him in his life.

Glenn Close is a fantastic actress and despite initial concerns that she would not be able to pull off this role, she really did. Her character is a psychology study all on its own. While her final scenes, despite being entertaining, go over-the-top, Close’s acting merged with Dearden’s screenplay to create something authentic. Watching Close transform into her character is terrifying. Regardless of what you think of the movie, Close’s performance is the best part. She is leagues better than Michael Douglas who isn’t so bad himself. His character and his intentions certainly made me angry. Anne Archer has some excellent scenes as Douglas’s wife. She is the glue that holds the family together and she will take the necessary steps to ensure that.

Fatal Attraction is one of those films that begins as a slight slimmer but ends on an overdone boil. That is not necessarily a bad thing as Adrian Lyne keeps the film competent and entertaining throughout. The ending is memorable thanks to its Friday the 13^th antics. I did not hate the ending but felt it could have been out of place. Still, the film manages to give you some frightening chills. If you ever think about cheating on your spouse, perhaps you need to think twice after giving this thrilling feature a watch. Who knows who can be a psychopath? Lyne gave himself a name with erotic thrillers and this is one of them to watch. Ending be darned, this is a good, entertaining popcorn stuffer.

My Grade: B+