Familiarity with Murphy's law and experience can do wonders and enhance everyone's visionary abilities. For the author of this review proof for that came with Disclosure, 1994 thriller directed by Barry Levinson. As soon as I heard about this film being marketed as "erotic thriller", "directed by Barry Levinson" and "based on the best selling novel by Michael Chricton" I knew what to expect.
Plot, written by Levinson's associate Paul Attanasio (best known for his work on the excellent TV series Homicide: Life on the Street), deals with Tom Sanders (played by Michael Douglas), hard-working, ambitious and happily married executive in Digicom, Seattle-based computer company. The company is soon to be merged and Sanders expects promotion. Instead, the promotion goes to Meredith Johnson (played by Demi Moore), an outsider who now becomes Sander's new boss. To make things even more complicated, Sanders and Johnson had an affair in the past, and when two of them have a late night private meeting, Johnson wants to re-start their relationship. Sanders rejects her and soon finds himself in danger of losing a job. The only way to prevent it is to fight back, so he files sexual harassment suit, not knowing that this is just a beginning of his fight with Johnson.
In its time, Chricton's book created a lot of publicity by turning the tables on the usual sexual harassment cliches and portraying the men as victims of said practice. But the sexual harassment, or sex itself, for that matter, is the only a convenient plot point in Attanasio's script that deals more with the corruption and Machiavellian practices of corporate America. The plot, although resulting at a times slow and over-long film, could have provided material for something truly enlightening and entertaining. Unfortunately, first error was made by tragic typecasting of Michael Douglas, forced to repeat his role from Fatal Attraction. Demi Moore is only slightly better as his sexy nemesis, while Donald Sutherland gives another uninspiring performance in the routine role of corporate mentor. The only good acting job is done by Roma Maffia as Sanders' lawyer. The soundtrack by Ennio Morricone is bland as usual, but the worst thing about Disclosure comes at the end. Inspired by virtual reality craze, filmmakers at the end introduced CGI scene that would have caused a laugh riot among computer literate section the audience. The general impression of Disclosure is thus wrecked beyond any repair, and this film, although not being complete waste of time, doesn't disclose anything that would oblige anyone to spend two hours in front of screen.
RATING: 3/10 (+)
(Note: The text in its original form was posted in Usenet newsgroup rec.arts.movies.reviews on August 5th 2002)
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Movie URL: https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/8984-disclosure?language=en-US
Critic: A
