Disclosure (1994)

Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

Disclosure could have been a great movie. For its time, it probably was. All the ingredients are there - capable actors, an intriguing story, not to mention the erotic greatness provided by Demi Moore. She plays the boss of Michael Douglas' character, and she invites him to her office and proceeds to make sexual advances on him, then accuses him of sexually harassing her. The movie then goes into the mediation of these claims, and these are the best scenes because it really shows how people can instinctively side with the woman in these cases despite evidence pointing to the contrary. Moore's lawyer interrogates Douglas ruthlessly, asking him leading questions and bringing up their sexual history in order to make him look as guilty as possible. And on top of all that, Douglas is a family man so it's also taking a toll on his marriage. All of these elements work.What doesn't work is the cyber-thriller aspect. The computer graphics are HORRIFIC. Even for the '90s it looks bad; these days it looks like a glitchy Atari game. And one of the main plot lines revolves around Douglas receiving messages from an anonymous source on his computer, so a lot of time is spent looking at dated interfaces. The movie's climax goes a step further and throws virtual reality into the mix, and those scenes make the X-Files episode 'First Person Shooter' look like a visual masterpiece. It really takes you out of the movie, despite Ennio Morricone's best efforts on the music front.Disclosure is certainly watchable. It has some witty and clever dialogue, it deals with serious issues in a tasteful manner, and has a wonderful sex scene that will keep your eyes glued on screen even if you detest the rest of the film. Overall, Disclosure is a serviceable thriller, ending the Michael Douglas sex trilogy with a bang. Literally.

This is an exciting little drama thriller where computer specialist Tom Sanders (Michael Douglas) is sued for sexual harassment by former lover-turned-boss Meredith Johnson (Demi Moore), who actually instigated the act. This puts Tom's reputation and family life on the line.From Meredith's sensual desires to her crafty accusations, Demi Moore proves should could play a seductive, powerful and devious villain. And, Douglas gave a vulnerable, yet commanding performance as Tom Sanders, attempting relentlessly to prove his innocence. He and Demi have strong head-butting chemistry that adds on to the suspense and thrills to this movie. The supporting cast also did a great job in their respective roles, providing dry wit and dark humor in an otherwise thrilling drama.The movie also provides an interesting inside look in the corporate workplace, where gender roles sometimes collide and the consequences it produces. While the plot is somewhat predictable, the overall tension, twists-and-turns, and powerful acting, especially during the courtroom drama, make this film an edge-of-your-seat ride.Grade B

A tale of sexual harassment in the office with a twist – this time, the guy is the victim and the woman the pursuer. Yes, it's another thriller that builds on Michael Douglas's typecasting as a victim of powerful women (following FATAL ATTRACTION and BASIC INSTINCT) but this one plays all the right cards. Part workplace drama, part courtroom thriller, and all the time invested with now-dated-but-then-cutting-edge technology (email, virtual reality) I found Disclosure to be never less than intriguing and well made. The Crichton source material helps, of course; I haven't yet seen a Crichton film that hasn't been thought-provoking and entertaining (even the worst, CONGO, isn't entirely without merit, although the book is loads better).I've been seeing a lot of Douglas in recent months and my opinion of him has steadily improved to the degree that I can't remember him giving a bad performance. He's fine here, providing a key likable anchor for the film to revolve around, and playing opposite him Demi Moore is also a surprise: she oozes sexuality and selfishness in equal measure, proving a powerful enemy at all times. Moore isn't the world's greatest actress but this might well be her best performance in a film.The courtroom scenes, tense and full of electricity, are undoubtedly the film's highlights and there are supporting actors to relish (Donald Sutherland, Allan Rich and in particular a slimy Dylan Baker). It's not a perfect film, but it is a reminder of the kind of solid, sensual thriller that got made during a sometimes forgotten decade of filmmaking.

One wishes this had focused on completely on his most famous theme -that of sexual harassment and how a man can be deemed guilty in absence of evidence. This is a serious problem and rarely (if ever) dealt with by Hollywood. The scenes involving this are convincing, particularly in the mediations where the chairman sides with the woman (Demi Moore) although the fact she is so sexually attractive makes the basic premise less plausible than it could have been.However the story is hobbled early on by too much 'techy' information and rather arbitrary plot details such as a mysterious email contact and a piece of evidence which magically shows up. It is not really clear why the company is spending so much time and effort trying to get rid of Michael Douglas, especially after the harassment case is settled. This leads to the final 40 minutes which are very clunky indeed. It is here that the 'techiness' really comes to the fore, and at a point when most viewers will have switched off since the real story has finished.The climactic scene in the exec meeting is very unconvincing. A typical Hollywood attempt at a big finale, which falls flat.An uncharacteristically poor score from Ennio Morricone adds to the general mediocrity.