I don't recall if I have seen the film since it's initial theatrical run. It's definitely darker than I remembered, and I don't mean the cinematography.
"Risky Business" is on the surface a very '80s coming-of-age comedy, one that catapulted Tom Cruise to stardom. Joel Goodsen is a high school senior and future captain of enterprise from a wealthy Chicago suburb, who's left unsupervised when his parents go on vacation. What could go wrong?
Things take a turn when he accidentally hires a prostitute, Lana (Rebecca De Mornay). After a night of debauchery, Joel wakes up to find he can not afford the bill. Stuff ends up missing and his father's prized Porsche ends up in a lake as one thing leads to another. Desperate for the money to fix all this, he does what any affluent suburban white, teenage male would do. He turns his house into a brothel and takes in his friends inheritances and trust funds. Comedy ensues, and so an.
The film is visually stunning, and the score of brilliant. Yet there's an overall superficial feel to it all, even in sex scenes, that fits the themes of the film well. It's odd that the director has made so few movies. He definitely seems to know what he wants and how to get it done.
"Risky Business" has a quotable sharp wit. It's a satire of American '80s materialism, and Tom Cruise's fits right in. "I was just thinking, where we might be 10 years from now, you know," he asks. Well, jumping off tall stuff without a parachute a lot probably...
More reviews here on letterboxd:
No comments:
Post a Comment