Film Title
Fatal Attraction
Director
Adrian Lyne
Starring
- Michael Douglas as Dan Gallagher
- Glenn Close as Alex Forrest
- Anne Archer as Beth Gallagher
A torrid affair has terrifying repercussions for a lawyer when the other woman won’t let go in Fatal Attraction, a suitably infamous thriller that deeply unsettles and disturbs. Infidelity and obsession combine in this well-acted and frightening tale of a woman’s scorn.
Dan Gallagher is a young lawyer who has a beautiful wife Beth and a young daughter Ellen. He first meets the intriguing Alex Forrest at a book event, and though attracted to one another, he is unavailable. But when Beth goes away for the weekend, temptation gets the better of Dan and he engages in a steamy fling with Alex. Dan then wants to go back to his family and it is here when he first gets the idea that Alex is not going to let him go when she slits her wrists. After helping her clean her wounds, he returns to his family, yet Dan soon finds his life turned upside down by Alex. She incessantly calls him at work, she throws acid on his car, sends him a chilling tape detailing her love for him and famously kills the family’s pet rabbit( spawning the term bunny boiler in the process). It becomes very clear to Dan that Alex has now become obsessed with him and won’t take no for an answer. Terrified, he tries to smooth things over but Alex’s campaign of terror is only just beginning and she won’t stop until every obstacle is out of the way. What began as a fling morphs into a nightmare for Dan as the spurned and unstable Alex refuses to let go of that weekend and will go to the most extreme lengths to destroy everything in Dan’s life, including his family.
Director Adrian Lyne contributes a steamy and suspenseful atmosphere through his crisp direction that highlights the heat of the affair and later the increasingly disturbed and insidious ways that Alex takes revenge on Dan. It’s all about the build up in Fatal Attraction, as we witness Dan’s family life, the affair and slowly but surely the obsessions of Alex. This is chilling to watch as it started out so simple and then became very complicated as the terrified Dan comes to see that his mistake is coming back to bite him. Fatal Attraction contains many moments of suspense and terror, most notably Alex sitting alone flicking the light switch on and off as her eyes become catatonic and when she follows Dan who is listening to her bone-chilling message about how she isn’t going to let him get away with leaving her. The unnerving atmosphere is held up very well and only loses it in the finale which goes overboard but still emerges as tense and creepy. An electronic score excellently backs up the realization of Dan that Alex is very dangerous indeed and that he is not going to escape her campaign of terror on his life.
Michael Douglas excellently portrays Dan as a man who has had his fun and now wants to leave, but witnessing that this isn’t going to happen. By turns sympathetic and unsympathetic, Douglas gives his all as Dan becomes more terrified at the prospect of what his fling will cause. Glenn Close is the standout performer here, rightfully seen as iconic in this role. Exhibiting rage, obsession and terrifying intensity, Close knocks it out of the park and really becomes a frightening embodiment of a woman scorned acting out her anger. What really makes it such a great performance is the subtlety that it builds with. Alex in the beginning seems like a rational and flirty person with nothing sinister about her. But after Dan’s dismissal of her, the fury begins to emerge and Close reaches chilling heights displaying the anguish and warped mind of this woman. Anne Archer brings her great credentials to the supporting role of Dan’s wronged wife Beth, who is left reeling by his affair but who is willing to protect her family nonetheless.
A lurid and unnerving thriller if ever there was one, Fatal Attractions still remains sinister viewing.
Paul S said:
Fatal Attraction is satisfying, particularly on a visceral level. My only gripe with this film is the ending which was very clearly influenced by test audiences.
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
That ending does feel a little bit out of place, but up until then it was an intense ride.
LikeLike
beetleypete said:
I have to agree. Watching it on release, it was certainly something different, and the amount of copies and near-copies it has spawned are testament to its impact. I get a little tired with Douglas essentially playing the same character in so many of his films, but this one belongs to Glenn Close. Even when she is unashamedly over the top, she still makes it work.
Undoubtedly the best of its type.
good one V!
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
I’ve seen many films try to use the formula here but almost all of them failing.
LikeLike
alexraphael said:
Sinister is the exact word. Well chosen. I saw the documentary about it and it explained how Close really campaigned for the role. She really is superb. I actually like the ending. I think if she’d committed suicide it wouldn’t have been anywhere near as popular.
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
Close got so into the part here and it really showed.
LikeLike
abbiosbiston said:
A dark and disturbing tale!
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
Perfect words to describe this film,
LikeLike
SLIP/THROUGH - Dan said:
Great review. You have a way with words, Vinnie. Sometimes it’s hard to nail our impressions of a film, but I think you do an excellent job expressing yourself.
I have to watch this again. I remember being absolutely terrified of Glenn Close. Or that I would date someone like her. It’s the reason I don’t have a bunny 😉 Thanks for spotlighting this super intense classic thriller.
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
Your feedback is always so nice and supportive, really appreciate it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
SLIP/THROUGH - Dan said:
you don’t come around writing like that often… i really dig the passion behind the analysis… you’re welcome, bud
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
Thanks so much.
LikeLiked by 1 person
SLIP/THROUGH - Dan said:
i enjoy taking the time to think of phrasing too.. so i’m just calling it out when i see it, i know it takes some extra effort… it’s worth it, man… i always think content is the most important part of a movie site
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
You’re right, I always go over my work to check the phrasing is just right so it flows better in the review.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Paul S said:
Your phrasing is always impeccable. It certainly puts my fragmented prose to shame!
LikeLiked by 2 people
vinnieh said:
Thanks Paul, really means a lot.
LikeLike
Keith said:
Funny you posted this. I have been thinking about a revisit. I always liked it but never loved it like many do. But it has been a loooong time.
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
Definitely revisit it Keith.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Khalid Rafi said:
Great review dude! Glenn Close is terrifyingly good in this.
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
She is so terrifying in the way she charts Alex’s seemingly rational attitude into complete obsession.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Jay said:
The crazy thing is how old Michael Douglas looks, even in this!
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
I’ve never really thought of him as young but he’s always been a great actor in my eyes.
LikeLike
By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
Fantastic review Binnie! I loved this movie except for the part with the bunny.😕
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
Poor bunny.
LikeLiked by 1 person
By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
😒😒🐰🐰🐇🐇
LikeLiked by 1 person
By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
That was supposed to be “Vinnie”!
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
I got ya.
LikeLiked by 1 person
By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
I didn’t want you to think I just made up a new nickname for you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
It’s all cool Kim.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Mel @ The Creative Fox Den said:
This is an incredible movie!! I love it. Glen Close is so mesmerizing (and SCARY) in this one! Great post
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
Glenn Close just owns this film, so iconic.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Mel @ The Creative Fox Den said:
She does. I don’t think it ever seen a scarier female antagonist
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
She definitely up there with the best.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Avoiding Silence said:
a movie which has an alternative (and much seen) ending, which tapped into the anxieties of women and the fragility of the modern nuclear family.
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
I’ll have to look into that alternate ending.
LikeLike
Avoiding Silence said:
Re your last, here it is http://youtu.be/GY_NQK7rJrY
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
Thanks, I’ll check it out soon,
LikeLike
alittlebirdtweets said:
This is in my top ten favourite movies…a masterpiece 🙂 A great review!
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
It’s certainly a well crafted and tense thriller.
LikeLiked by 1 person
MovieManJackson said:
Nice! I always will love the psycho-stalker genre, and I enjoyed this one. The only thing that gets me is when people consider this to be the granddaddy of all psycho-stalker movies. That, in my opinion, should go to Play Misty for Me, directed by Clint Eastwood. I think it looks a little worse than FA, but the story is obviously similar and Jessica Walter is amazing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
I’ve never seen Play Misty for Me, but I’m really interested in seeing it after reading this comment.
LikeLike
Eva Blaskovic said:
This is sure a creepy one, isn’t it? I saw it when it first came out (1987) and think about it still. My peers called it the “cure for adultery.”
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
Yes, I can imagine many husbands reconsidered straying after seeing this chiller.
LikeLiked by 1 person