SLEEPING WITH THE ENEMY
US, 1991, 99 minutes, Colour.
Julia Roberts, Kevin Anderson, Patrick Bergin, Kyle Secor.
Directed by Joseph Ruben.
Sleeping With the Enemy is sure-fire box-office material. A wealthy wife of a violent executive escapes, befriends a drama teacher and is pursued by the vengeful husband. The material is certainly predictable, but that is the point. Not what will she do, but how will it happen: suspense, not mystery.
And when the wife is played by Julia Roberts, what more could one ask? She is just as attractive as in Pretty Woman (and even gets a hat-changing collage in memory of that film). Julia Roberts also appeared in Mystic Pizza, Steel Magnolias, Flatliners. Patrick Bergin (Sir Richard Burton in Mountains of the Moon) is the menacing husband; Kevin Anderson (Orphans, Miles from Home) the teacher. Director Josef Ruben made The Stepfather and the husband here is surely related to him. (Other Ruben films include Dreamscape, True Believers). The film is an easy thriller to enjoy.
1. Interesting and exciting thriller? The use of familiar material?
2. The film's box-office success, reliance on the formula, on Julia Roberts?
3. The importance of twists? Not so much what happens but how it happens? Audiences satisfied with the twists?
4. The title, the husband and wife, Laura and Martin and the enmity between them? The coast, the luxury home, boats? Travelling to Iowa on the bus? The Iowa town, the contrast with the east coast, middle America? The musical score, mood and atmosphere? Editing and effects?
5. The introduction to Laura, on the shore, the muscles, Martin's comments, his urging her about the dresses, the sexual encounters, their social life, her devotion to him - too much? Neatness in the house? Her walk and breaking the globes? Her fear of boats, his attack on her for looking at the boat and the captain? The angers, her impassivity? The build-up of expectations?
6. Going on the boat, the voyage, the storm, the dangers, her disappearance, Martin's search for her, the storm, the police, her funeral? The irony of her swimming to safety, the flashbacks to her swimming training? Putting her ring in the toilet and the irony of its not disappearing? Taking the money, on the bus, telling her story to the sympathetic passenger? Her disappearance? The background of the story of her mother's death and this being untrue?
7. Settling in, changing her name? Buying the house? Ben singing West Side Story, her taking the apples and his catching her, the pie, the meal, pleasant friendship, sharing? Her fears? Getting a job? On stage, the spotlight? The costumes and the collage of her changing hats? Establishing the relationship with Ben, her settling down in the town? The change of name, her hopes, her fears? The phone call to her mother?
8. Martin, his character, dominating, wanting everything neat in the house, his perfect wife, meals, clothes? His violent outbursts and jealousy? Sexual encounters? His not understanding his wife? His grief? Cutting his foot on the bulb, learning about her swimming, finding the ring? His angers, hiring the detectives? Going to Laura's mother, stalking the hospital, getting the information, almost killing her? His going to the town, watching, the encounter with the teacher and almost killing him? The entry into the house, tidying things up? Watching Laura, the final confrontation, a sense of menace and fear, the attack? Laura's phone call? The shooting? His dying? Coming to life before being shot? A theatrical villain?
9. Laura and her visit to her mother, the disguise, her joy in seeing her mother, passing Martin without knowing? With Ben, discovering the neat house, putting aside her fears, sure that Martin was present, Ben coming to the door, her evasive talking? The confrontation, ringing to say that she had shot the intruder, Martin having no more bullets - and she might have died? With Ben and a future?
10. Ben, his singing, the apples, the meal, cooking, his work as a teacher, his relationship with Laura, her fears, his respect, going out, the hats, helping her with the disguise for her mother, coming to the door, suspicious, the attack on Martin, his being injured?
11. The sketch of her mother, her blindness, her love for Laura, knowing her presence? Telling the information to Martin after his intimidating her?
12. The incidental characters - doctors, friends, the woman on the bus, the homosexual teacher whom Martin attacked?
13. Laura's marrying Martin, the seemingly perfect marriage, his brutality, her fears, the plan, the stalking and confrontation? Familiar ingredients, entertainingly presented?
