Disclosure [1995] [DVD] [1994]

 

 

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On 26th September 2010 I wrote a review for the movie Disclosure. I was reading through some of my older reviews, and upon reading my own opinions of this movie I realized that the quality of the writing was not up to scratch with my other reviews, and that I may have been a little harsh on Disclosure. Because of this I've decided to re-write this review.

Disclosure is the 1994 movie starring Michael Douglas and Demi Moore. It's a drama based on the novel (of the same name) written by the late Michael Crichton. If that name sounds familiar it's because Crichton also wrote the novel for the blockbuster movie, Jurassic Park.

Disclosure centers around Tom Sanders (Michael Douglas), an employee working for a hi-tech computer company called DigiCom. DigiCom is entering a busy period, and is due to merge with another company by the end of the week. But Tom has a lot of problems on his plate. Several of the company's hard drives are faulty and he has to find out what's wrong with them before Friday. He's also a very unhappy man, having been overlooked for a promotion.

Things get worse for Tom when his former lover and new boss, Meredith Johnson (Demi Moore), tries to make a pass at him in her office. When he rejects the advances Meredith accuses Tom of sexual harassment, and these accusations threaten to cost Tom both his job and his marriage. Never mind, Tom. Your scenario reminds me of a song by D:Ream. "Things can only get better."

The casting is very good, and the actors look at home in their roles. Michael Douglas' character, Tom, is a vunerable but honest and determined man who uses his brains to get himself out of trouble. Meanwhile Demi Moore is very convincing in her role as Meredith, the conniving vixen who will do everything in her power to see Tom crash and burn. Also putting in a good performance is Donald Sutherland who plays Bob Garvin, the shady big cheese of DigiCom who seems more concerned about the merger than getting to the bottom of the sexual harrasment claims.

In my original review I stated that there were two storylines going on, and that the movie couldn't make up its mind as to which one to follow. Having watched it again I've decided that this is actually not the case. The movie mainly focuses on the sexual harrassment story, with the faulty hard drives angle being more of a side order. The sexual harrassment story is well told, and will keep first time viewers on the edge of their seats, but the decision to conclude the movie with the hard drives story is rather confusing, and does let the movie down a fair bit.

I still stick by my guns regarding the strong language. Usually in 15 and 18 rated movies you get swearing, but in those movies the swearing seems so natural that it blends in with the dialogue and you barely notice it. But in Disclosure the swearing sticks out like a sore thumb and seems totally unnecessary. It's as if the director threatened to shock the actors with a taser if they didn't use profanity.

Disclosure is a very long movie, clocking in at 123 minutes. Certain types of movies are best suited to certain time lengths. For example: a decent length for action thrillers should be about 1¾ to 2 hours. Dramas which rely more on the dialogue than physical scenes are best suited to the 90 minute mark. So at a shade over 2 hours this movie is far too long. It could've done with being around 20-30 minutes shorter.

Overall Disclosure was not as bad as I first thought it was, and that's why I've upgraded the score from 2-Stars to 3-Stars. It's still not the greatest movie in the world, but it's still worth taking a look at, especially if you're a big fan of either Michael Douglas or Demi Moore.

No, no, no! I think Mr 'A Customer' also reviewing here picked up the wrong end of the stick, his video tape copy wasn't rewound due to the fact the couple watching it had to hit the sheets mid-movie after watching Michael Douglas and Demi Moore in their intimate clinch; the whipcrack of the g-string removal does stir the blood somewhat!

So, come on, Michael Crichton is no dispstick, and he's written more books-to-movie stories than most author's can wave a stick at, and someone has the gall to say it became boring? Nah, sorry, mate; are you sure you're reviewing the right movie?

Innovative as another reviewer notes in that the 'sexism in the office' tables have been turned in that Demi has accused Michael Douglas of sexual harrasment, (an absolute dream for most blokes, right!), the plot flits across the top of Crichton's industrial espionage theme extremely well. For a sci-fi / semi-erotic thriller this movie does it's job admirably, as does, no doubt, the Bestselling book, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

As soon as the DVD started it upset the colour settings of our DVD player and we had to pay a technician twenty pounds to fix it. Amazon has given us a refund. I do not think I will be buying any more DVDs of this type.

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1.0 out of 5 stars Just Dreadful
Crass melodrama set in a computer company. Unintentional humour is provided by way of one of the villains looking a bit like James Murdoch, also from the outdated mobile phones... Read more

Published 1 month ago by Johns

4.0 out of 5 stars Sexual harassment is about power. When did I have the power? When?
Disclosure is directed by Barry Levinson and co-adapted to screenplay by Paul Attanasio and Michael Crichton from Crichton's own novel of the same name. Read more

Published 6 months ago by Spike Owen

5.0 out of 5 stars 1990s film remembered.
This depicts Michael Douglas, Demi Moore, etc. at their acting best?
Beware that it is "raunchy" - but not an X rated [18+] offering? Read more

Published 12 months ago by D. Mosley

5.0 out of 5 stars Disclosure dvd movie
This is one of those films i can see over and over.Great acting throughout,brilliant casting and a few twists along the way with a very topical subject. Read more

Published on 1 Dec 2009 by Mozzy

2.0 out of 5 stars a sex scandal, a mystery and a boring central charatcer? It's no Basic Instinct
Desperate for a promotion, Tom Sanders (Douglas) is distraught when the job is offered to his former fling Meredith (Moore) who sues him for sexual harassment. Read more

Published on 12 May 2009 by Stampy

3.0 out of 5 stars An inverted story on sexism, and how it can go both ways...
Barry Levinson has made an intentionally provocative story on sexism, where he has swaped the genders of the tradionally harrased victim and its agressor. Read more

Published on 29 Oct 2001 by eiffel@feffeman.com

1.0 out of 5 stars Spend your money elsewhere
When I first Hired this video it was only half rewound. I subsequently discovered it was not a rewinding error,The viewers before Myself had obviously given up half way through... Read more

Published on 10 Aug 2000

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