About Last Night... (1986)

Don't listen to the negative reviews

A Masterpiece!

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

I seriously wonder sometimes if the entire decade of the eighties was a conspiracy to enable the young people of that time to remain children for their entire lives!In addition to the horrible music of the time, we had an entire catalogue of movies just like this one. Strike that, many of them were even WORSE than this one. (Xanadu comes immediately to mind).Demi Moore, who actually became a pretty good actor, "starred" (for lack of a better word) in several of these, including probably the poster child for all of them "St Elmo's Fire". These movies all had one thing in common: They portrayed people living unrealistically "hollywood" type lives, which inspired and already lazy and entitled generation to become even more so. And where are these "children of the eighties" today? Most of them (except for the ones that actually became yuppies, which are almost as detrimental to society) had a kid or three and are now on welfare, still holding their spoiled entitled breaths waiting for the world to be handed to them on a platter!

A young man by the name of "Danny Martin" (Rob Lowe) and a young woman named "Debbie Sullivan" (Demi Moore) fall in love and decide to live together. However, Danny's best-friend "Bernie Litgo" (James Belushi) and Debbie's best-friend "Joan" (Elizabeth Perkins) don't like the new relationship because it directly impacts their personal life. So, both of them try to sabotage it on various occasions. Anyway, rather than detail the entire story and possibly spoil the movie for those who haven't seen it I will just say that this was a well-written romantic comedy which I thought was highly entertaining. In my opinion, while Rob Lowe's performance was excellent and Demi Moore was certainly cute, it was James Belushi who stole the show as the big lout who did his best to mentor Danny in the ways of the world. Quite hilarious. Having said that I should also probably mention that there is some sex, nudity and graphic language throughout and discretion is highly advised. Be that as it may, I liked this movie and I rate it as definitely above average.

In Chicago, the salesmen of restaurant supplies Danny Martin (Rob Lowe) and Bernie Litgo (James Belushi) are best friends and womanizers. One night, the handsome Danny meets Deborah 'Debbie' Sullivan (Demi Moore) in a bar and they have one night stand. Debbie works in an advertisement agency and lives with her roommate and best friend, the kindergarten teacher Joan Gunther (Elizabeth Perkins), and falls in love with Danny.The infatuated Debbie moves to Danny's apartment and they have great sex but very few conversation. Their closest friends Joan and Bernie frequently try to sabotage their relationship. Five months later, Danny breaks with her and the brokenhearted Debbie returns to Joan's apartment. Meanwhile Danny grows up and misses Debbie, but maybe it might be too late for reconciliation. "About Last Night…" is one of the best movies about love, sex and immature relationship from the 80's and one of my favorite films ever. The charming lead characters are wonderfully performed by Demi Moore and Rob Lowe that show a magnificent chemistry. The story is realistic and shows the difficulties of a young couple to live together, with four young central characters of twenty and something years old: Debbie is a young woman that has an affair with her boss and has a crush on Danny and wants a steady relationship. Danny is an insecure man frustrated with his work that does not want to have a commitment with Debbie. Bernie is chauvinist pig that sees women as sexual objects. And Joan is a frustrated woman that is constantly dumped by her boyfriends."About Last Night…" is a cult for people from my generation that certainly will find identification with the lead characters and their relationships. Last but not the least, Demi Moore is delightful to be seen in the 80's ("No Small Affair"; "St. Elmo's Fire" and "About Last Night"). My vote is nine.Title (Brazil): "Sobre Ontem a Noite…" ("About Last Night...")

About Last Night is directed by Edward Zwick and adapted to screenplay by Tim Kazurinsky & Denise DeClue from David Mamet's play, Sexual Perversity. It stars Rob Lowe, Demi Moore, James Belushi and Elizabeth Perkins.Youngsters have one night stand and tentatively start a relationship that neither of them is equipped for.....At this point we don't know.It's a funny thing, or maybe it's not? But Edward Zwick's About Last Night is a far better film now than it was when I saw it as a 20 year old. Viewing with wiser adult eyes it resonates more, proving to be more than the Brat Pack pulp it seemed to be back then. Picture is a mature observation on the young relationship of Danny (Lowe) & Debbie (Moore), one that is clearly taking on too much, too soon. Film dared to show 80s audiences that you have to work at relationships, use your brain instead of what is in your underwear. A big part of the piece is the sex, and its importance to the narrative, the steamy love making scenes underpin their passion whilst making sure we remember the fact that these two have been driven by their sexual urges. They know next to nothing about one and other, which surely is a recipe for disaster?Naive Nudes! On the edges of the frame are two slightly older but cynical best friends of the couple, Bernie played by Belushi is loud, brash, aloof and lives in the local bar, and Joan played by Perkins is bitter and in danger of being left on the shelf, these two actors are the best things in the film. However, there should have been more made of the characters, for although Danny & Debbie are the core of the tale, Bernie and Joan's issues needed fleshing out for some further dramatic impact. Things aren't helped by Lowe and Moore being two of the prettiest actors around at the time, a blip because the dialogue and situation has realism in abundance, but the two "pretties" make it hard to fully believe and care about them.Uneven for sure, but the mature eye cast over proceedings makes this better than many other "young adult" romance pictures of the 80s. 7/10