Sex Lies and Video Tape

Relate to Class:  During our class period we discussed that the movie was edgy.  For its time it was very edgy but today it may not be considered so.  I don’t watch a lot of sexy movies but a I think that they are based on visual explicity.  Such as nudity and.  This movie had very little sex scenes and the scenes that did contain sex did not have any nudity.  At the same time I felt almost violated by the intimacy of the movie in one particular scene.  Some scenes with Graham were particularly awkward, but the most sexually explicit scene in my opinion is his scene where he films Cynthia.  The scene between them was so personal its like you were listening in on a very private conversation you didn’t want to hear.  I think that is what made this movie so edgy, yet it had zero nudity.

Article Summary:  ( http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/sex-lies-and-videotape-opens ) This article talks about Steven Soderbergh, and how he started the independent lens revolution.  It mentions the movies that he has directed and the numerous awards he has won.  He paved the way for movies like Reservoir Dogs, Clerks, and Cigarettes & Coffee.  It also mentioned his success with George Clooney and The Ocean’s series.

This article really solidifies the part in history that this movie holds.  It started the independent film movement. The article did not really change my opinion on the film though.  I understand its part as far as the independent lens movement goes but it did not make me like the movie any more.  The movie was very original and spark the start of something new in film and the article mentions that.  

Critical Analysis:  I was not a huge fan of the movie but I am not going to say that it is a bad movie.  I think everything about it from the cinematography to the plot, as strange as it was, all worked.  I noticed that Ann was filmed from above a lo to imply that she was less powerful.  She was very timid and trusted her lying husband.  Once she finally knew for a fact that he was cheating and she was more assertive, she was filmed from below.  She finally had the upper hand and was finally sticking up for herself.  She had the power and it reflected in the way she was shot.  The movie was just too personal for me.  The information the characters revealed I did not care to know.  I walked away from the movie asking myself what I had just seen.  I felt like I was taken to a weird dark personal space I was not supposed to be in.