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.
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.