Sleeping With the Enemy Review

by Gerald Hawkins (jerry AT starfish DOT Convergent DOT COM)
April 9th, 1991
SLEEPING WITH ENEMY
[SPOILERS]
A film review by Gerald Hawkins
Copyright 1991 Gerald Hawkins

    Let's face it--I saw this film just to see Julia Roberts. With that out of the way, the film can be criticized. SLEEPING WITH THE ENEMY can only be called "derivative." I can't think of any other word that so accurately describes it. After the first twenty minutes--which I found tense and intense--the film became highly predictable. There were some moments of nice camera use--not enough to help. The dialog was very spotty, ranging down to the absurd in a couple of scenes. In one scene, Roberts sits down to a meal and has a conversation with "the enemy" that almost makes the film laughable.

    There are some Hitchcock-like elements in the film, but it covers only one bit of territory Alfred didn't (domestic violence); actually at times it seems as though the production is ripping off Brian DePalma, who ripped off Hitchcock. I found myself thinking back to STRANGERS ON A TRAIN at one point, VERTIGO at another, and in each thinking how I would've rather seen those fine films again than this one the first time. (Actually, I knew once I heard Robert's name in the film--Laura--what was in store).

    The only things I can say I really learned from the film are: 1. Don't keep the towels in your bathroom straight, 2. Julia Roberts has more teeth than anyone I've ever seen.
    My rating would be an even 0 on the +4 to -4 scale. Immediately after watching it, my rating would have been a generous 1, but with reflection this movie can't even carry that rating.

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