Disclosure (1994) User Reviews

Stand-alone thriller with a mish-mash of intriguing themes

[Leofwine_draca · 7/10 · 28 June 2011]

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.

Taut psychological suspense, good performances. Didn't like the sci-fi stuff!

[Ben_Cheshire · 7/10 · 27 June 2004]

Tense thriller mixes legal suspense, gender-role debate and technology-based action, with mixed results. In fact, its all good except for the computer stuff. The firm which the film revolves around is Digicom (a bit too made-up sounding for my liking), a computer technology firm. We're told at the beginning that the firm is developing a new technology, which will be used as collateral in the upcoming merger. They develop a sort of virtual reality file-scanning system, which doesn't make file-searching any easier whatsoever, but is more like an unnecessary toy for show - but it plays a part late in the film that, for me, was my only complaint about the film. All of a sudden, we go into the machine, and it just sticks out like a sore thumb as being totally wrong for this movie - we're in a sci-fi movie all of a sudden. Plus, it was totally unnecessary. In the scene straight after, the character reports what they discovered in the machine, so it was more for show than relevance - but it ends up hurting the consistency of the film for those five minutes.

This film suffers a little from the same thing the Sandra Bullock vehicle The Net suffers from - in hindsight, now that we've all just accepted the internet and computers as a helpful part of our daily existence, all these old fears we had seem slightly silly. Its a bit like looking back at those Y2K scares and thinking how ridiculous we were to be so afraid. Unlike The Net, though, technology-phobia is only in the subplot of this film. Its more about what happens between Michael Douglas and Demi Moore late one night at the office, and what happens afterwards.

Its very wordy - so be prepared for that. A couple of early dialogue scenes should have been rewritten with the dialogue absent, and told with a couple of thoughtful extended shots. But maybe i only think that because i've just gotten into Antonioni. He really makes this movie look reliant on words.

The sex scene is so well choreographed as to feed an entire movie's worth of plot. Its sexy - true, Demi Moore radiates sex appeal like you wouldn't believe - its an incredible scene to watch. But its stict mechanics are also very necessary for the rest of the plot. Its one of the most necessary and justified sex scenes i've ever seen.

Overall, it works. Its a tense thriller with two really incredible performances from the leads. I don't think its an essential movie, and its not particularly pleasant, if that's what you're after, but if you want a good tense thriller (which many of us do), this is worth a rental. Plus, we feel for Michael Douglas and want things to turn out good for him. So in that way, i think it deserves a workmanlike 7/10.

offers more than other thrillers

[TheNGBCh · 24 September 1999]

I'm really surprised that there are next-to-no comments on this excellent thriller. It has been on ITV many times now, but I have only just caught it now after reading a second-hand copy of the novel. This thriller deals with the inequality between men and women in the corporate workplace brilliantly, displaying the clichéd attitudes of so-called friends and colleagues. this film has a real moral to it that rises it up from the blockbuster it is intended to be. The plight of the man against the megalomaniac female corporate boss seems quite desperate against the political correctness of the 90's, but is also sadly realistic showing what an unphilanthropic, complicated world this sometimes is. Especially in the ever-dominant world of corporations, simple human empathy is lost against a backlash of other most often selfish concerns. Michael Douglas as Tom was superb, although the acting of Meredith was sometimes a bit too clichéd, although this of course is what it was meant to be. All-in-all a very enjoyable, gripping thriller with all the plot that only usually a novel adaptation can give, exploring a real contemporary issue which other thrillers typically leave blank.

Revelation of female empowerment

[senortuffy · 7/10 · 28 March 2003]

This is a pretty good drama with an excellent cast of characters. The story centers around Michael Douglas, who plays a division head in a high tech company in Seattle that is undergoing a merger. Demi Moore plays his old girlfriend, an aggressive corporate executive, who comes in and snatches away the job promotion he was counting on, then failing to seduce him after hours, files a false sexual harassment with the company in order to get rid of him.

It's interesting that although the story revolves around Michael Douglas's plight, it's the women who set the events in motion and who help the protagonist resolve the problem he's presented with. Female empowerment is the main theme of this movie.

Demi Moore gets perhaps her best movie role ever by playing the sexual predator to Michael Douglas's easygoing mid-level manager. She knows how to play the corporate game much better than him, and quickly boxes him into a dicey situation. How does a guy explain that it was his female boss who hit on him and not the other way around as she claims? Demi Moore controls the situation well for most of the movie, and plays the villain so well that the viewer really enjoys when she finally gets her comeuppance.

Roma Maffia does an excellent job of playing Michael Douglas's lawyer. He's lost on how to respond to the sexual harassment charges and what to do to preserve his job, and she forcefully takes over his defense and steers him towards a successful resolution. She also understands how the game is played and keeps her nerve when the company comes after her client.

Caroline Goodall plays Michael Douglas's wife and displays a perfect combination of anger and support while he resolves the charges against him. A lawyer herself, she understands the situation her husband has gotten into much better than he does, and is there for him as both an advisor and partner.

Rosemary Forsyth plays another female executive at the company who, without giving away the plot, mentors Michael Douglas through his dilemma. She's smart, but calm and principled, and in fact it is she, not Douglas, who eventually gets the promotion to head the company.

Even though Michael Douglas is the protagonist and eventually overcomes the crisis he's facing, his character is basically weak in the movie. He's carefree and unfocused at the outset, assuming the job promotion is his because he's done a good job for the company, and is completely blindsided when a woman takes it away from him and then threatens his career and his marriage. Douglas eventually takes charge and with alot of outside help and some improbable plot twists gets the upper hand, but in the cutthroat world of corporate intrigue, he's the little fish who gets lucky and swims out of the net.

Donald Sutherland hands in his usual fine performance as the president of the company. Dennis Miller plays a computer geek working for Michael Douglas and has a few humorous moments, but suddenly turns nasty in the middle of the movie and then just disappears. Dylan Baker plays a sort of Mr. Smithers kind of character to Donald Sutherland's Monty Burns, and is just egregious enough make you hate him, which is a good sign of a performance well done.

There are a few plot twists that offend the viewer's senses and things are wrapped up just a bit too neatly, but all in all, this is pretty good entertainment from start to finish. The movie touches an important issues, sexual harassment in the workplace, and makes it more interesting by making the woman the aggressor and the man the victim. Not surprisingly, I noticed that women gave this movie a higher average rating than did the men.

Smart

[TBJCSKCNRRQTreviews · 7/10 · 18 October 2009]

I have not read the Crichton novel, so I cannot compare the two. It's too seldom you see a thriller that really *works* without the threat being that of the protagonist(s) being physically harmed by someone chasing and/or attacking them. After his new female boss throws herself(quite literally) at him, Tom Sanders is in trouble. Who's going to believe him? The allegation sounds absurd, it seems. This is a believable scenario, and it remains that way through most of the film. The plot is interesting, and the twists and turns are unexpected. This has a marvelous pace, and it's never boring. It's exciting from start to finish. The leads have great chemistry, and all parts are well-cast. Every acting performance is riveting. Douglas, Moore and Sutherland are of course magnificent, and Miller is spot-on in a role that you can tell, as the Trivia confirms, was written to fit him. Cinematography and editing are good. The special effects do look a tad dated, and I'm not sure the film absolutely needed that portion, but they do the job fine. Computers and such in this are not completely credible, it is Hollywood after all. This touches upon important subjects, and treats them with respect. Barry Levinson does an impeccable job directing. There is no nudity, one sequence of strong sex, and a moderate amount of unrestrained language in this. I recommend this to any fan of those involved in making it and/or the book(possibly). 7/10

Improbable in spots but good overall

[[e-mail] · 7/10 · 15 May 2006]

"Disclosure" deserves better treatment than it got from the critics. Sexual harassment of males by female superiors may be rare (and more likely than harassment of females by males to go unreported) but it takes place. Both Michael Douglas and Demi Moore are playing against type; only Donald Sutherland fits his character like a glove. But it's a reasonably good film and the major scene in which Moore's character is exposed as a liar and schemer works well, though with a boat load of improbable touches. If it makes the corporate world look like a jungle with predators around every bend, well, if you've been exposed to the corporate world it isn't much of a stretch.

Sexual harassment is about power. When did I have the power? When?

[hitchcockthelegend · 7/10 · 25 July 2011]

Disclosure is directed by Barry Levinson and co-adapted to screenplay by Paul Attanasio and Michael Crichton from Crichton's own novel of the same name. It stars Michael Douglas, Demi Moore, Donald Sutherland, Roma Maffia, Dylan Baker, Caroline Goodall and Rosemary Forsyth. Music is scored by Ennio Morricone.

Tom Sanders (Douglas) is an executive at DigiCom, a high-tech computer company, who hopes that now it's finally his time to get promotion. Passed over for an outsider, he's further irked when it turns out to be Meredith Johnson (Moore), an old passionate flame of his from years previously. When Meredith arranges for a meeting between the two later that evening, Tom finds himself sexually harassed by her. Spurning her aggressive overtures, Tom is shocked to learn the next day that she has filed a charge of sexual harassment against him. He naturally counters the charge, but this opens up a can of worms for both him and the future of DigiCom.

The 1990s practically belonged to Michael Crichton, it seemed for a time that everything he wrote was adapted to the big screen for some form of entertainment. With Jurassic Park still warm and still garnering bucket loads of cash, two other Crichton adaptations worked their way into theatres; both of which were a world away from the family friendly extravaganza of Jurassic Park. One was Rising Sun, a messy wasted potential of a movie, the other was Disclosure, a zeitgeist snatcher that seized the moment.

The topic, and the novelty of flipping the gender aggressor, was always going to make Disclosure of much interest, thus the film and the novel made big money: aided still further by the hot casting of Douglas and Moore, who were still draw cards in the early 90s. Crichton, after being displeased with other adaptations of his work, got big say on the screenplay as a written project. So with director Levinson in tow, he set about pushing the buttons of his audience, attempting to continue the heated debates that were brought about previously from Douglas' Fatal Attraction and Basic Instinct. If it's Crichton's or Levinson's fault that it didn't work out that way? I'm not sure, but fact is, is that Disclosure really wasn't that potent back then, and certainly now it's not even lukewarm.

There's too much techno babble going on, and an over keenness to stick the nose up at the big business vultures picking the flesh off of the lesser minions. Entering the last half hour of the film, it's easy to forget there has actually been a sexual harassment case! Here's the crux of the matter, if going in to it for a first time viewing expecting this to be a powder-keg of sexual harassment muckiness and legal intrigue, then you are in for a big disappointment. I know, because I was one of the paying patrons at the theatre back in 94! You sense that one of the makers got a bit carried away…

Yet the film still has much going for it if stripped of that expectation, not least that it packs a pile of tension in that last half hour and the finale is rather rewarding. I'd go as far to say I'm a fan of the film, but it's not the film I originally went to see! There's a trio of interesting and differing female characters at the front of the narrative, even if Moore's stair-master vixen isn't exactly developed beyond being a bitch, and the virtual reality sequences have an appealing charm about them. The cast are turning in good ones, with a notable shout out to Caroline Goodall who wisely underplays it as the wife. While the interior set design (Gary Lewis/Joseph Hodges) for the DigiCom HQ is wonderful with its 90s excess of glass meeting mirrors and open spaces. Which leaves us with what?

A film that is not what you expect! Which in this case is both disappointing and a surprise. 7/10

A pretty smart thriller

[Quinoa1984 · 4/10 · 31 July 2000]

This film may not be exactly a thriller, but it comes close. Michael Douglas gives one of his best performances here as a man who is seduced by his boss (Demi Moore who is hotter than hell) and she sues him for sexual harassment. Good dialogue (by author Michael Chricton) and good performances make this watchable, and the plot is also kinda intelligent. Dennis Miller has a small role as a co-worker. A-

good, surprised

[ryangilmer007 · 6/10 · 11 March 1999]

I was very surprised that nobody else has commented on this movie. It is one of the better Crichton book adaptations (although it still varies from the book a lot) and deals with an interesting (if not important) topic. The acting is good. The film has serious, comedic, and other aspects (including some computer and technical stuff). It is not a great movie, but it was well received and is at least above average. Plus, it has the feel and look of a good movie (it is not a waste of money).

Smug modern potboiler...

[moonspinner55 · 5/10 · 27 January 2008]

Not-terrible adaptation of Michael Crichton's bestseller about an honest executive at a Seattle-based computer company mixed up in office politics, corporate mergers, and he said/she said sexual misconduct. Paul Attanasio's screenplay is full of outrageous, unconvincing twists and turns, which director Barry Levinson seems to inexplicably relish in. Still, if you meet the picture half-way, it's a lot of fun on strictly a low-brow level. Michael Douglas is solid as usual, Demi Moore is agreeably villainous, but Donald Sutherland comes up with nothing new as a shady corporate head. Rather smirking and silly, though it does offer callow pleasures for those in the right mood. ** from ****

Office Politics, Paranoia & The Abuse Of Power

[seymourblack-1 · 8/10 · 11 November 2011]

By the 1990s when an increasing number of women were filling top jobs in the corporate world, a story about a woman sexually harassing a man became a plausible scenario and the topical and controversial nature of the subject resonated strongly enough with the public at that time to make "Disclosure" a great box office success.

Whilst the sexual harassment element of the story was shocking and attention grabbing, it soon became apparent that this was just part of a far larger and more pervasive issue i.e. the abuse of power. In the workplace, where social conventions, various legal constraints and political correctness all come into play, there is still no escape from the kind of management conspiracies, office politics and duplicity which are depicted so effectively in "Disclosure" or the kinds of distrust and paranoia that they can so easily generate.

Tom Sanders (Michael Douglas) heads one of the divisions of a Seattle computer company and is engaged in the development of a product which is vitally important to the success of a planned and very lucrative merger with another company. There are some problems with the product which Tom and his team are currently dealing with and are under considerable pressure to resolve.

As a result of some changes which are taking place within the company, Tom's confident that he'll be promoted but it soon transpires that he's been passed over and the job has been given to one of his ex-girlfriends, Meredith Johnson (Demi Moore). On her first day in the job, Meredith arranges a late meeting with Tom to discuss his division's work but during their meeting she aggressively tries to seduce him and is furious when, after a considerable struggle, she's unsuccessful.

Meredith responds to Tom's rejection by accusing him of sexual harassment and asserting that in the circumstances, there's no way that she'd be able to work with him again. The company want to avoid any publicity that could have an adverse impact on the upcoming merger and so try to get Tom to take a transfer to another job in their Austin branch. He can't countenance this idea because of the negative effect it would have on his career and is in a very tight spot. Help unexpectedly arrives in the form of an anonymous e-mail which recommends that he consult an attorney called Catherine Alvarez (Roma Maffia) who's a specialist in sexual harassment cases.

Tom decides to fight back and files a counter-suit. The process he has to go through to achieve justice is difficult and painful but irrefutable proof of his innocence is produced and the company agrees to retain him and give him a pay rise.

The relief that Tom feels after being cleared of the charges against him is short lived as it quickly becomes apparent that efforts which were originally initiated by Meredith to make him look incompetent have now drawn wider support and he's being set up to be publicly humiliated and undermined at a high profile shareholders' meeting. The way in which Tom copes with this threat then provides the story with its intriguing conclusion.

The events in "Disclosure" all take place within the space of one intense week in which Tom's normally affluent and comfortable lifestyle is disrupted as his disappointment at being passed over for promotion turns into discomfort when he discovers the identity of his new boss and then horror as he's threatened with the loss of his job, his wife, his family and his stock options.

The false accusation made against him, the plots to make him look incompetent and a workplace where no one can be trusted, create a climate of paranoia which is reinforced when some of his previous innocent actions are characterised as something more sinister and the support of his colleagues is systematically eroded by those high up in the company structure.

Michael Douglas gives a good solid performance as the beleaguered Tom and Demi Moore is marvellous as the cold and cruel villain of the piece. Donald Sutherland and Roma Maffia also stand out in their supporting roles.

Corporate Intrigue.

[AaronCapenBanner · 7/10 · 29 September 2013]

Michael Douglas plays Tom Sanders, a successful computer specialist working for a big firm who is passed over for promotion in favor of an old flame named Meredith Johnson(played by Demi Moore). She is very ambitious, and seems to have undue influence over the CEO, which proves to be the case as Meredith tries to seduce Tom after hours in her office. Tom, a happily married man, is tempted by her beauty, but resists. He is later shocked to learn that she has reported him for sexual harassment, so he has no choice but to sue her, which endangers his future within the company, but Tom will discover that things are not as simple as they seem, and Meredith has another agenda at work...

Based on Michael Crichton's novel, and well directed by Barry Levinson, this features fine acting by its stars, and a fascinating story with many twists and turns, that leads to a satisfying finale.

One of the Worst of 1994

[nutsy · 1/10 · 19 March 2004]

1994 was a great, great year for movies. That year, audiences and movie history were blessed with the classic THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION, Tarantino's milestone of cinema, PULP FICTION, Stone's own landmark Tarantino adaptation, NATURAL BORN KILLERS, the much loved FORREST GUMP, and many other good movies. Then there's stuff like DISCLOSURE, no... that's unfair. Very little Hollywood fluff gets as bad as DISCLOSURE. There were other bad movies released in 1994, but they were the safe, normal bad movies we've come to expect.

DISCLOSURE dares you to enter the terrifying cut-throat business world in which bad dialogue runs rampant, characters appear in cartoonish clarity or linger blurred in the background, and all dramatic points are rendered in stark black and white.

If I hadn't seen a little cheapie shot-on-video horror movie called HELLSPAWN, I'd call DISCLOSURE the worst movie of its year. The packaging looked intriguing at first: we have the usually respectable Michael Douglas, the "talented" Demi Moore, and the once respectable Barry Levinson. Then there's that whole roles-reversed sexual-harassment thing. It sounded like a neat idea at first, but they brought it off as some cheesy thriller complete with bad suspense and a hero who is constantly accidentally implicating himself. It's like FATAL ATTRACTION plus crap.

In short, it's about a guy (Douglas) being sexually harassed at the workplace by his superior, and ex-lover (Moore). Nobody believes him because guys generally like girls coming onto them even when they're married (if the film was good it might have dispelled this sexist stereotype). The matter gets legal and things complicate.

Now, we've seen hundreds of these bad thrillers, but DISCLOSURE isn't satisfied with being a regular old bad thriller. Instead, Demi Moore, Donald Sutherland, Michael Douglas, and probably the entire supporting cast are entangled in some kind of shady deal involving technology and the manufacture of microchips overseas. This wouldn't be so bad if it didn't result in supposedly important techno-babble about the technologies for which they obviously failed to consult a technical advisor. That isn't the worst of it either. The real stinker of this flick is the virtual reality scene. Michael Douglas puts on the virtual reality goggles to uncover footage exposing corporate black-ops, only to find a cheesy 2D icon of Demi Moore deleting his files with what looks like a laser-beam (Ha! Ha!). And then comes the computer-geek with angel wings and a halo, trying to warn Douglas while still in virtual reality. The scene inspires one to say out loud "What the F***?"

Meanwhile in reality, Douglas has a wife who doesn't trust him, people in his office shifting loyalties, accusations- the whole deal. None of it is interesting, and you can see the twists coming a mile around the corner. Levinson renders it all very dull, taking no steps to save the picture from its script. Levinson even fails to put the beautiful Seattle locales to the proper use. I think this one really unmasked him as a bad director (after all, how good was RAIN MAN, really?). DISCLOSURE is a bad 80s concept trying to squeeze into the newly forged 90s in all the wrong ways.

The final result is truly inexcusable. DISCLOSURE should only be watched for laughs, and even then, only out of severe boredom. For a good suspense/thriller involving a domineering woman and sex, see PLAY MISTY FOR ME. For a good 90s movie, see any of the films I named in the first paragraph. Just stay far away from DISCLOSURE!

An intriguing story of sex and power...

[AllisonLVenezio · 6 July 2001]

Sexual harrassment soars to new concepts in this compelling film based on the novel of the same title by Michael Chricton.

Tom Sanders (Michael Douglas) is psyched up about his promotion at DigiCom. But, as he arrives at work that morning, he finds out that the promotion never happened, but the position of Vice President was given to a woman. Of course, its not just any woman, its Meredith Johnson (Demi Moore), a woman from his past. Sanders discloses that he once was in a whirlwind romance with Meredith, but they parted ways and he came to Seattle, married, and started a family. Now, she wants nothing more to rekindle their romance, which Sanders doesn't want. An after-hours encounter leads to Meredith crying sexual harrassment, Sanders claiming he was the one who was really harrassed. Now, Sanders must be able to push past her power and status to show people what Meredith is really all about.

This was a great movie, based on an amazing novel. Douglas as Tom Sanders is what I expected, middle aged with a family, successful. However, the novel describes Meredith Johnson as blonde, while Demi Moore was not what I really pictured. However, her performance as "Super-Bitch" Meredith is convincing. She makes you hate her, no matter how much you like the characters she played in other films.

The part where Sanders struggled with Johnson in her office was extremely graphic. My mom predicted that I would cover my eyes, but I was very fascinated with it. In the book, this particular scene was EXTREMELY long, about 15 pages.

In conclusion, I thought "Disclosure" was a very well-done film with a great cast. Performances by Moore and Douglas were great, with a good supporting cast to back them up. It gives a good understanding of the American Legal System and sexual harrassment, and proves that sexual harrassment works on two levels. Sex is truly power, and if you have it, you have it, and if you don't...well, you'll have to work hard to prove yourself. I highly recommend seeing this film, but read the novel in addition to the movie. You won't regret it.

Sex and Chips.

[rmax304823 · 6/10 · 26 June 2006]

In a way, this is the opposite of an LMN movie. A man (Douglas) is accused of sexual harassment by his boss (Moore). But since she was the aggressor he threatens to bring suit against her. The film turns the usual clichés upside down. Douglas finds the incident was accidentally taped on an answering machine, and at the mediation everyone hears him telling Moore "No." "Doesn't 'no' mean 'no'"?, Douglas's lawyer (a woman) asks Moore? And later at the meeting we hear Douglas's lawyer come up with, "Sexual harassment is not about sex. It's about power." That's what's known as high-concept film making, but it's not all that simple. There's additional skulduggery involved, an attempt to sabotage Douglas's career as production manager at a computer company in Seattle.

The direction, by Barry Levinson, is up to his usual standard, which is pretty good, though his forte lies in remarking small quotidian moments rather than complicated technical drama. The acting is competent too. There was, however, a dolorous moment at the end when Douglas exposes Moore's trickery in public and when she objects furiously he smirks at her like a third-grade kid who just squealed on a classmate.

If there is a problem it is with the script. The story seems bifurcated. The two schemes to torpedo Douglas are only tenuously connected. Either one -- the sexual harassment business or the sabotaging of Douglas's production line -- would have been movies unto themselves. And for the most part, the dialog is functional and flat, empty of verve, except for one angry outburst by the victimized Douglas who does a neat turn while pointing out that nobody believes him because he is a stereotypical white male. Oh, and one or two other lines. When Douglas is about to sue the company they offer him a "lateral move" to Austin. Donald Sutherland, the boss, gets a nifty observation: "AUSTIN? That's like a duck making a lateral move to 'a l'orange.'"

Worth seeing. Imaginative and picturesque.

Entertaining Junk (WARNING,POSSIBLE SPOILERS)

[Jagged-11 · 7/10 · 13 July 2003]

Disclosure is a silly but intriguing thriller, which would have been much better had the screen-writer chosen to concentrate on the sexual harrassment plot thread as opposed to the confusing computer conspiracy mumbo jumbo.

The plot of Disclosure revolves around Tom Sanders(Michael Douglas) a fairly stereotypical buisness man, with a high paying job, a loving wife and two children. However on the day he is expecting a promotion he finds that the prestigious position has been given to a woman named Meredith Johnson(Demi Moore) an old flame of his and he begins to suspect his career may be in jeapordy.For this reason he later goes to her office for a buisness discussion, but finds she is more interested in rekindling their romance and after much groping, groaning and close-ups of Demi Moore's wonder bra (but no Sex)he flounces out of her office, declaring he is happily married and has no interest in beginning an affair. Meredith does not respond well to this and the following day Tom finds himself accused of sexually harrassing her, but mores is at stake than he imagines.

Sadly the film fails to concentrate on this theme as swiftly the film plummets into conspiracies, double-crosses, all to do with computer products and software, none of which makes much sense and seems have no other purpose than as a cheap plot device to enable Tom to humiliate Meredith at the end of the film.

Still the film is worth viewing, it is competently directed by Barry Levinson, and has a superb music score by Ennio Morricone and the entire office structure which Tom works in is stylishly designed and the film is well paced (even though it is implausible in numerous places) and holds your attention throughout.

The acting is solid, Michael Douglas performs well enough in a rather bland role whilst Demi Moore gloriously vamps it up as the schemeing Meredith. There's good support from Donald Sutherland as Tom's unsmypathetic boss and Roma Maffia turns in a great performance as Tom's tough-talking lawyer.

All in all a good film that could have benefited from some script moderations, but I'll give it a reasnobly good score of 7 out of 10

I'm Screwed!

[sol1218 · 6/10 · 16 June 2006]

**SPOILERS** The movie "Disclosure" is more about corporate climbing and back-stabbing then sexual harassment like your made, by it's advertising campaign, to believe it is. There's the handsome and personable, as well as highly competent, head of manufacturing at the giant computer chip company Digicom Tom Sanders, Michael Douglas, being passed up for the vice president slot at the company for the very sexy and conniving head of operations Meredith Johnson, Demi Moore.

Were informed very early in the film by Tom, to his fellow employees, that he and Meredith had a very serious sexual relationship years ago before he married his wife Susan, Corline Goodell, which makes Tom even more upset that his former lover will now be his boss at Digicon. Swallowing his pride and taking the whole thing, his being passed up for promotion, in stride Tom sees nothing suspicious in being invited by his new boss Meredith to her pad after work to discuss business matters. Before he can get to the bottom line of the weekly profit report Tom ends up being attacked set upon and almost raped by a very wild and aggressive Meredith, acting like a young filly in heat, that has him run for his life out of her apartment, almost tripping over himself, with his pants still hanging down to his knees.

Back at work the next day Tom, who was willing to put the whole sordid episode with Meredith behind him,is slapped with a sexual harassment suit by Meredith which can not only cost him his job but his marriage and reputation and make him virtually unemployable in the computer software business. Trying to fight off Meredith's suit Tom counter-sues which if made public will prevent a planned merger of Digicom with Colney Electronics that will raise the company's stock price value to over 100 million dollars

The stakes being too high for Digicom president Bob Garvin, Donald Sutherland, to ignore gives him two option in dealing with Tom and that's either to farm Tom out to his new plant in Austin Texas which will completely disrupt his, and his wife Susan and two children, life here in Seattle or just plain fire him with the stigma of being a sexual predator where he'll be unable to get a job anyway in the computer software business in a managerial, or any other, position.

Having a hearing on his counter-suit ,as well as Meredith sexual harassment suit against him, Tom exposed his accuser as being a very manipulative and driven young woman who uses her looks to entice and then destroy, like a black widow spider, those she feels are a threat to her or in her way, like Tom, from climbing to the very top. Tom really gets a big lift in his hard fought efforts to exonerate and free himself from the tight and suffocating strangle hold that Meredith has on him when he recovers a tape that was made when he called, or miscalled, someone from work Mark Lewyn, Dennis Miller,to confirm his meeting with his boss just seconds before the out of control, and hot to trot, Meredith assaulted him at her suite that recorded an X-rated ten minute blow by blow description of the entire shocking incident. It's then when you, and Tom, realize the real purpose behind Meredith's strange and bizarre behavior and it doesn't have at all to do with Tom's sexy goods looks, which must have come as a big shock and disappointment to him, but with him being in the position of exposing her even more stranger managerial habits and activities back at the Digicom main computer chip plant in Kuala Lumpur Malasya the year before that is now costing the company tens of millions of dollars, in lost revenue from defective computer chips, that the sneaky Meredith want's to have the unsuspecting Tom take the blame for but first she has to get him fired so he won't have access to the company's files and records to prove his innocence and at the same time Meredith's guilt.

Somewhat decent, but very complicated, movie about the movers and shakers in the top positions of cooperate America and how they use their power and influence, and in the case of Meredith Johnson her very sexy body, to get ahead and stay on top using all the assets available to them to keep up and coming young hot-shots as well as those senior executives over them from unseating and preventing them from reaching and staying on their high perch in the company that their employed at.

Good and clever sexy thriller.

[blanbrn · 6/10 · 30 April 2006]

1994's Disclosure shows viewers to a subject and issue that is coming more and more common in the workforce and society that is sexual harassment. You have Michael Douglas as a computer executive Tom Sanders, who rejects the advanced passion of his new boss an old-flame played perfect by the hot and sexy Demi Moore. Only to find out later that his whole life and career is on the line when he's accused of sexual harassment, the tables are turned only as he later finds out this is all a game of company conspiracy and sexual politics, the Sanders character is one you cheer for to win his lawsuit and career. I'm thankful for Barry Levinson and Michael Crichton who show with this film that sexual harassment can come from a female instead of a male. Men are sometimes wrongly stereotyped as the predators instead of the prey, and that many women in the workforce have ego problems and power trips just like the Moore character. Disclosure is a good movie not a great movie that shows women can be just as guilty as men with issues like sexual harassment, and remember be careful and stay away from a female with a little bit of given power.

'Honey, look..Michael Douglas is the victim again'

[Boyo-2 · 5/10 · 1 April 2002]

I have a theory that certain actors take the same role again and again because they either (a) feel it brings out the best in them, (b) they have personal issues that they cannot help but expose, or (c) that's all they get offered.

I can't tell which applies to Michael Douglas, but I think its a little of each. In 'Fatal Attraction', he has an weekend-long affair with the anti-Christ and pays for it in spades. In 'Basic Instinct' he is never sure if he is going to get killed or seduced by Sharon Stone. In this movie, his feelings are hurt that Demi Moore is more masculine than he is.

All the female characters I've mentioned are more masculine than Mikey, come to think of it.

He gets sexually attacked by Demi, on her first night as his boss, but he stops them mid-stream. This is a little much to..(please excuse the expression)..SWALLOW, and the sight of Demi running after him, ordering him to 'finish what he started', has nothing on Neely O'Hara's confrontation with the demons from her past in an alleyway in 'Valley of the Dolls.'

He decides to sue the company but remains a weiner. He gets a masculine woman, Roma Maffia (she's the only reason to endure this), to do his bidding for him. She wins, of course, cause he's the hero and Demi is the predator, as designed.

Quite alot remains unquestioned. Why he would want to work there, after he finds out that they intended to get rid of him, is anyone's guess. Why Demi allowed herself to be treated so badly, when she is obviously a shark, is open for discussion. Why Barry Levinson directed this yawner is another good one, and why you'd want to sit through it, too...

Oh, and Michael...chin up, you'll work it out..

Hot Scene

[nacount · 7/10 · 22 July 2005]

The sex scene with Michael Douglas and Demi Moore is one of the hottest things ever on film that wasn't X rated.

Incredibly there is no nudity in the scene in which I can recall.

It was truly sensual and hot and showed that a woman could be just as cruel as a woman when it comes to corporate politics and the cut throat world of technology.

Douglas is known for his passionate scenes with Sharon Stone, but in my mind the scenes with Demi are far more erotic.

For whatever reason this film didn't really have the impact I thought it would have as a cultural statement on the world of corporate America.

Muffled message and blatant cliches.

[augustian · 4/10 · 9 June 2003]

This film was supposedly about sexual harassment but somehow got diverted into corporate shenannigans. Michael Douglas and Caroline Goodall play the happily married couple and Demi Moore the predatory female with the hots for Douglas. The plot is convoluted involving takeovers, technology and an old love affair. The sexual harassment aspect seems to have been added as an afterthought and does not appear to add anything to the corporate goings on.

What really rankled me were the all too obvious differences between the two women. Demi Moore was made up and dressed up to the nines with figure-hugging dresses and killer heels. Caroline Goodall had no hair style, no dress style and no heels. I'm sorry if I'm going on too long about this but the contrasts were too blatant to be believable.

Also unbelievable was Douglas' refusal of Moore's advances. Why an actor of Douglas' calibre chooses to make films like this is difficult to fathom. The same could also be said of the other cast members. I've rated this film 4 because there is a serious message in there somewhere but this is not the film to broadcast it.

Intellectual thriller about sex used as a tool for power.

[Banshee57 · 9/10 · 16 May 2005]

Michael Doulgas and Demi Moore head this fine piece of work based on Michael Crichtons' novel. Douglas is Tom Sanders, a typical business man working with a fairly normal company. He is dark horse in the running for promotion, until Meredith Johnson(Moore) arrives. Meredith is an old fling, and she hasn't forgotten the past. When a desperate attempt to open old wounds, or relive steamy times goes awry, Meredith is sickened by Toms' monogamy, and wants revenge! Director Barry Levinson creates a brilliant conflict, which seems to grow heavy with each scene. The entire cast is phenomenal. Moore and Douglas are perfect in their roles, but the main attraction for my eyes, was the quick, smart, catchy performance of Catherine Alvarez by Roma Maffia. Film keeps a strong interest for the whole time, only lacking in some possible slow moments. Part of why the film works so well is the fact that Levinson keeps it intellectual, dealing with adults, and the way they handle these situations. Sex is not a crutch to use for the main stars, who, at the time, were rather big. Instead, sex is portrayed as the key power in the situation. Catherine Alvarez states in the film "Sexual harassment is not about sex, it's about power. She has it, you don't". Pretty catchy way to portray sexual harassment. Technology is later brought in as a power to...but why should I say anything more? See the film for yourself.

Dated as all hell, but an interesting look at how double standards affect people's views on sexual harassment in the workplace.

[lnvicta · 6/10 · 21 December 2015]

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.

The corporate ladder via disclothing.

[mark.waltz · 5/10 · 24 March 2022]

I remember the first time I saw Demi Moore on screen. She was then playing the vindictive dumped woman on "General Hospital" opposite Tristan Rogers. It's a decade later, and she's playing a variation of the same character, much more powerful and using that power for revenge over a relationship that ended years ago when he apparently and it is. Promoted to a vice-presidential position over him, and making a pass at a private meeting that same evening, she goes out of her way to seduce him in the most violent way, and he almost falls prey to her preying, running out as she spits threats at him and he's finished. You can't even get herself to say something to the cleaning lady looking at her in disgust. Moore is a vindictive woman of no scruples (actually a preying mantis determined to remove his head), fascinating to watch, I wouldn't want her as my boss. Douglas, happily married to Caroline Goodall, is horrified when Moore makes accusations against him of sexual harassment. The games are on, and the loser faces total destruction, especially since nobody is going to believe him over her just because she's a woman. Ironically he consults a female attorney who seems to believe him but warns him against the repercussions.

Definitely a film of its time, it's another case of watching Douglas playing a sex machine with a formidable female co-star after being with Glenn Close in "Fatal Attraction", Kathleen Turner in "War of the Roses" and Sharon Stone in "Basic Instinct". He's excellent, realizing that he's somehow being set up for something bigger than just sexual harassment. Donald Sutherland as the big boss has absolutely no scruples, the head rat that will take everybody down if he's on a sinking ship. Veteran actress Rosemary Forsyth as memorable as an aging executive who the glass door has bypassed over for men for years, and now seems to be a victim of ageism. Moore plays a really strong ruthless female, ready to strike in her spider woman get-up the minute she has the fly in her web, and it's fun to watch her rise to the top as well as predict what will bring on her downfall. With the subplot of a big merger being affected by this, the situation makes Douglas look like the villain to his colleagues who once considered him a friend.

The great use of Seattle locations and the surrounding area (including the ferry that takes Douglas into the city from the nearby Islands) gives it atmosphere, showing the domestic life that Douglas has outside of this wretched corporate world. When his wife find out what's going on, she react more realistically and not the way that Anne Archer did in "Fatal Attraction". When Douglas breakdown over his anger of the situation, it is a very well-written scene and he makes the most of it brilliantly. This is a film with a psychological volcanic eruption nearing Mount St. Helens that's questions human morality, not just male dominance or issues of the patriarchy. Obviously there are good and bad members of both sexes revealed here, and from a moral standpiint, it's presented fairly. It's just a very disturbing topic that is very uncomfortable to watch develop, and a lot of sexual language used that might be difficult for conservatism viewers to listen to.

Carefully directed film with good performances

[axlrhodes · 7/10 · 17 March 2008]

This is a film that poses many intriguing questions about the gender war in the workplace.In a clever piece of casting Michael Douglas,a self confessed sex addict and star of many a film where his impulsive sexual urges have gotten him in over his head,stars in a role that finds him as prey as Demi Moores bitch boss from hell doesn't take too kindly to her aggressive advances being spurned. What follows is a battle to save face between Douglas and Moore. This is probably Demi Moores best performance to date,she trades blows with Douglas giving a confident and suitably aggressive performance enriched with an intimidating sexual presence. The film,contrary to what the poster may have you believe, is not by any means graphic which may be why the films IMDb rating is so low but i would urge anyone interested in sexual politics in the workplace to give the film a try.Its performances and direction are not earth shattering but the idea is interesting and holds tight until the final credits.