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About Last Night...

About Last Night...

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Demi 4 Me!
Review: The sizzling Demi Moore & Rob Lowe star as 2 people who fall in love...and their friends don't like it...they do everything in their power to end the relationship. Funny & steamy.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: David Mamet turned into ¿thirtysomething¿
Review: This is a pretty good movie, although the initial effect is disconcerting, like watching a sit-com that is painfully real and not just escapist fare. The players, Demi Moore and Rob Lowe as the lovers, and Jim Belushi and Elizabeth Perkins as their jealous friends, are very good, and Director Edward Zwick is to be complemented on getting so much out of all of them. The script, loosely based on David Mamet's play Sexual Perversions in Chicago is filled with sharp, clever and sometimes insightful lines worth quoting.

One is when Moore breaks off the relationship with her boss to be exclusively with Lowe. Taken back, he says, "But I thought we had something special." She replies, "No. It was sleazy. And now it's over."

Another is when Moore's sensitive and brutally sarcastic (and jealous) friend Perkins arrives for Thanksgiving and says to Lowe about cloddish, working-class Jim Belushi, who hasn't arrived yet, "Your vulgarian friend is downstairs denting innocent people's fenders."

After the two lovers move in together, and she has more than a drawer in his apartment and doesn't have to carry an extra pair of panties in her purse, they begin with "I love..." (awkward pause) "making love with you" (pure Mamet). But when he doesn't share his feelings with her, she says, "I don't want to be your roommate anymore. I had a roommate."

What she wants is emotional intimacy. A woman needs emotional intimacy because then she knows where she stands and she has some control. They move closer and she (caught unaware) says, "I love you." He (on the spot, camera close) replies, "I love you too." She sheds a tear, just one, as they hug, perhaps in joy, or perhaps because she doesn't know whether he really loves her or not, and it's so very, very important. The next day Belushi asks who said it first and cavalier Lowe says he did. Belushi, who boorishly fancies himself a lady's man, lectures his friend on just how very poor studly style that is.

About Last Night is really about forming and securing the bond between a man and a woman. It's trial by fire. Their emotions are on edge and their individuality is threatened. And all around them are people and circumstances, and their very own animal natures, testing and probing the strength of the bond. When it breaks the pain is enormous.

Lowe says: "I didn't fool around. Not once!" Moore rejoins: "Give the boy a medal. I didn't realize it was such a sacrifice."

Then comes her awkward and sad double date with the nerdy card trick artist with the British accent. Perkins says, "Couldn't you just listen to him all night?" and we're thinking, "NOT EVEN for one minute."

Meanwhile we have Lowe's casual pickups. Meaningless sex, and then not even that. But when he saves his friend's cafe, he grows up.

Belushi and Perkins are wonderful as "opposites attract." They fight the magnetism to the very end-speaking of which, the best part of the movie is the ending. It is perfect.

It should be noted that the movie is larger than Mamet's one-act play and covers ground not even considered in the play. The play was an insightful but somewhat crude comedy about sex. The movie is a popular drama about relationships.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Funny and touching. A great two hours.
Review: This is a very enjoyable movie which I never fail to rewatch when it's on television. Rob Lowe and Demi Moore meet and start a relationship which is new to him as he is somewhat of a lady killer. The chemistry between these two is great. Lowe is perfectly cast as the romantic lead. Great looking but struggling with his job. Demi is also very good projecting a single girl who would like to settle down but isn't too much of a prude. Jim Belushi plays Rob Lowe's sidekick whose main goal is to keep Lowe out "chasing the hounds" as it is his total social existence. This is Belushi's best role ever as the vulgar, liquor drinking sidekick who has some of the best lines in the movie. My only disappointment was Elizabeth Perkins as the female sidekick. Her role was rather bland.

This movie will appeal to romantics, people of dating age or who like to be reminded of the trials of dating, fans of Chicago and Rush Street, and others interested in love stories or comedy. It's also a great study in the second wave of movies by the Brat Pack. Additionally, Zwick went on to direct some great movies such as Glory and Courage Under Fire I believe. I strongly recommend this movie as a great way to spend and afternoon or night.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Primo Date Movie
Review: This is an excellent date movie as it explores all the aspects of a relationship. You see the good, bad, and ugly sides of both these people and how true to life it is. Both Elizabeth Perkins and James Belushi give super performances in supporting roles to let the viewer know that even the most greatly different people are fairly connected. I guess Belushi and Perkins have two degrees of separation. Anyway, this film has comedic moments and very serious moments as well and it really makes you think about waht dating is all about.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: DON'T TAKE LOVE FOR GRANTED...
Review: This was one of the few films of the 80's in which the style actually met the substance. "About Last Night..." is enjoyable enough for the mid-80's pastel decors and slick Chicago locales and cinematography, not to mention an INCREDIBLE adult contemporary soundtrack and SHEENA EASTON theme song, "So Far, So Good." However, the plot is the true draw of repeat viewings. I never saw the play from which this screenplay was adapted, so I can't compare, but I would not call this film "watered down" in the least. In fact, this was probably one of the "meatier," realistic plots of the entire 1980's, and this is the best example of Demi Moore's acting skill I have witnessed.

Moore and Lowe meet, and both play slightly manipulative head games on one another to keep their detachment intact. As they slowly fall in love and reveal more of themselves to one another, each becomes more afraid of the vulnerability each experiences. While both want to continue the relationship, an unintentional power struggle begins, and as with many youthful relationships, no one can establish when it started or by whom. Moore's character wants to be closer, but fears smothering Lowe. Lowe just wants things to go along like they are without really "thinking" about it that much. She analyzes, he doesn't: the whole girl/guy "Venus/Mars" scenario begins.

Elizabeth Perkins and James Belushi are great as the best friend of each main character. In their individual bitter loneliness, each "friend," in the NAME of friendship, manages more to erode confidence in the relationship than support each friend. This works out wonderfully for each "friend" when the couple breaks up, allowing each "friend" to have their best buddy back to spend all their time with them instead. This kind of vulturous manipulation is rarely addressed and it is good to see it addressed in this movie.

The split comes from lack of effective communication instead of lack of love. Lowe's character takes the relationship for granted and makes an extremely careless error in judgement, deeply hurting Moore's character. Only much later, after sorting out his own issues, does he realize what he has tossed away and grieves for his choices and their results.

When trying to persuade Moore to take him back, unconvincingly in "me" guy-speak, she reminds him, "but you HAD love and you didn't WANT it. You threw it away....get on with your LIFE!" He goes on and she goes on (amazingly, without a Celine Dion theme song) and their lives evolve seperately. Eventually, they come to an understanding that both had different expectations of what the relationship would be like, based on seperate, inaccurate influences. Communication begins and how it develops is left to the viewer's imagination.

Couples should be mandated to watch this film at the beginning of a relationship as a "how-to/how-not-to" guide. It might just save everyone a lot of time, pain, and regret along the way...

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Strikes many chords
Review: Though most will agree this is a predictable love story of a one night stand turned serious, there are so many reasons to love this 1980's date movie. Let's start with the cast: Rob Lowe, cute as ever, is perfectly cast as playboy, Danny. His sidekick, the HILARIOUS Jim Belushi, plays the boorish best friend, always ready with a belch, cuss word and a smile. Demi Moore, though not the greatest actress of all time, plays these types of characters quiet well. She gives the character of Debbie a depth of emotion and sensitivity that all women can relate to. Elizabeth Perkins (He Said-She Said and BIG) is wonderfully sarcastic and endearing as Debbie's best friend, Joan, albeit a jealous one who seeks her own love and affection in the strangest of unattainable partners.

Next you'll love the dialog. If you came of age in the '80's you will feel your heartstrings being pulled in this film. In one poignant scene, just moments after ringing in the New Year at Mother's Bar, Rob admits to Debbie that, "I don't love you anymore..." and expresses raw feelings which alone can punch you in the chest like an iron fist, even if you have never heard those words spoken to you in a relationship.

Lots of foul language, explicit sexual conversations, nudity, steamy sex, and so on, but nothing you haven't seen before.

Last but not least, this movie has LOADS of great songs that truly match the tone of the scenes, especially those by Bob Seger, John Waite, Jermaine Jackson, and Sheena Easton. Pick up the soundtrack, you'll love every moment of it.

You will laugh, cry, and probably totally relate. Enjoy!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: 2 parts 80's romantic comedy, 1 part soft porn
Review: Two parts 80's romantic comedy, one part soft porn, this movie isn't anything spectacular, but it's fun. The jokes were cute, you might laugh out loud once or twice, and you get to see some pretty steamy love scenes towards the middle. It's no great cinematic feat, but it's certainly not a bad way to spend a rainy day with your honey.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: ABOUT LAST NIGHT!
Review: You will be AMAZED at what they did to DAVID MAMET's play "Sexual Perversity in Chicago!" THRILL as ROB LOWE and DEMI MOORE let an innocent liaison become a LOVE AFFAIR! WATCH as second bananas JAMES BELUSHI and ELIZABETH PERKINS steal the film! THINK about the implications for love when CONVENIENCE and NECESSITY rear their ugly heads! WONDER whatever happened to director EDWARD ZWICK and then remember he does "Once and Again" on TV! ENJOY this adult comedy about ADULT relationships!


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