ARE YOU LONESOME TONIGHT?
US, 1992, 91 minutes, Colour.
Jane Seymour, Parker Stevenson.
Directed by E.W.Swackhamer.
Are You Lonesome Tonight is an entertaining romantic thriller, a touch Mills and Boon with some sleazy background. Jane Seymour portrays a loving wife who gradually discovers that her husband has been in league with prostitutes, using a telephone sex service, and embezzling money. In her shock, she encounters a private eye and employs him (Parker Stevenson). She tracks down the woman who spoke on the sex service and together they investigate the disappearance of her husband. It leads into sinister money deals, money going into the purchase of a brothel and sex service as well as violence and murder.
This is popular movie of the week kind of material which gets its strength mainly from Jane Seymour's performance.
1. Interesting melodrama? Romance? Big business and the sleazy background to business deals and crime?
2. An affluent world, Adrienne and her home, her wealth? The contrast with the brothel? With the prostitute and her apartment and the telephone service? High society social functions in the town?
3. The title and the echoes of the song? As applied to Richard and his sex phone conversations? To Adrienne and her coming to terms with what had happened in her life?
4. The opening, Richard talking on the phone, Adrienne hearing, pretending not to? Her discovery of the tapes? Unable to communicate with her husband?
5. Adrienne as a strong character? Going to the police - and her being humiliated? Meeting the police chief and the background of social functions and money-raising? Her encounter with Matt and his offer to help? Her suspicions of him? Finding more tapes, the puzzle of his disappearance, the sound of violence on the phone? Her going to Matt, the off and on relationship with him? His helping her, going to the social function, her tracking down Laura and the discussions, finding out more about the sex industry, the phone service? The bonds with Laura? Her suspicions of Matt? Her further investigations, discussions with her lawyer? Laura and her condemnation of Matt? Adrienne and her fears of Matt, taking Laura to her home? The phone call and the discovery of the truth? The violent chase? Laura's death? Her future with Matt?
6. Richard, his relationship with his wife, financial needs, business dealings? The money in the brothel? His contact with the lawyer, with the criminals? With Laura? Laura's killing him?
7. Matt, investigation of corruption? His meeting Adrienne, offering his services? Her rejection? Their discussions, his interrogations, methods and her antagonism? The meal and the attempt to get information? His work, going to the social, going back with Laura, bugging her room? His being made to look suspicious? His rescue of Adrienne?
8. Laura, the sex phone industry? Her affluent style, her clients? Her mobile phone, being interrupted in meals? Her routines? Tracked down by Adrienne, her reluctance to give information? Adrienne's persistence, going to her home? Further information, her going to the social, taking Matt home? Suspicions and her leading Adrienne on? Deceiving her about what happened? Her violent outburst and stalking Adrienne in the house? Her death?
9. The lawyer, his support of Adrienne - yet his criminal deals? The background of the brothel, the ex-criminal, the girls?
10. Mills and Boon kind of investigation, romance - with the tantalising sleazy background?
