"Self-defense isn't murder" That was the tag line of "Enough", a film that didn't know the difference between self-defense and pre-meditated murder. It would have been a better tag line for "Sleeping With the Enemy", a movie that does know the difference. Whereas Slim plotted and planned her husband's violent death, "Enemy"'s protagonist, Laura, acts in the heat of a moment and, most importantly, her actions are justified.
Laura and Martin have been married for four years, and seem perfectly happy. Unfortunately, Martin's severe Obsessive/Compulsive Disorder and self-confidence issues have put a strain on the marriage. Laura simply can not live up to the standards he needs to keep his OCD under control. If the towels aren't hung correctly on the towel bar, or if the pantry isn't organized just right, he has a fit of uncontrollable anger. When Martin's fits elevate to physical attacks against Laura, she leaves him.
Laura fakes her own death and then begins life anew in a small town with a new identity, and she has a romance with a man named Ben.
Thankfully the movie doesn't try to justify Laura's running away or her adultery, or make her seem perfect; it simply shows the choices she makes. Whether she makes the right choices is all up to your own moral radar, and I like that. If this were "Enough", the case would likely be much different. But this isn't "Enough". This is much, much better.
"Sleeping With the Enemy" is a smart film that actually let's the audience see why Laura feels she has the right to leave Martin. Mostly it has to do with her own inability to deal with Martin's mental infirmities, and that's an understandable problem. OCD can ruin lives, and it can seem overwhelming when you try to help someone who suffers from it. I'm not saying it's right to run away, but her fear is legitimately justifiable. And it's obviously her fear that causes her to overlook the possibility of getting Martin some help.
Her killing Martin is also justifiable. When he bursts into her house with a gun, that provides a reason to kill him. And, what do you know, it makes sense. Do I even have to say the E word again? We all know that movie provides no good reasons for anything that it's characters do. Even though the end of Sleeping With the Enemy is predictable, it's really the only ending the movie can logically come to by that point so I really can't complain, and I'll stay off my soapbox. Besides, I need to save it for when I review "Irreversible."
"Sleeping With the Enemy" has other merits besides the smart script. For one, the cinematography is beautiful, especially in the early scenes at Laura and Martin's beach-front home. I was left saying "Wow." Another selling point is the acting. Julia Roberts, who usually bugs me, does a fine job as Laura. She never takes it into the territory of melodrama or schlock, thankfully. Patrick Bergen, as Martin, does a good job of portraying a sufferer of OCD and, when Laura's ruse is revealed, an enraged husband. He has reason to be angry with Laura for leaving him (or so he believes thanks to his mental issues), plus he has those self-confidence issues that fuel his instability. To some he may seem over-the-top, but to me he seemed very real. Like I said, OCD wrecks those who suffer from it.
My only real problems with the movie were the silly way Martin died (Three bullets, and he's still standing? Please!) and an unnecessary dance number with Laura and Ben. Why is it that some filmmakers deem it necessary to use pointless dance routines to show that two people are in love? And what place do songs like "Runaround Sue" and "Brown-Eyed Girl" have in a movie like this? However distracting those errors may be, "Sleeping with the Enemy" is a fine movie that actually makes the effort to realistically portray real issues. And for that, I commend it.
Laura and Martin have been married for four years, and seem perfectly happy. Unfortunately, Martin's severe Obsessive/Compulsive Disorder and self-confidence issues have put a strain on the marriage. Laura simply can not live up to the standards he needs to keep his OCD under control. If the towels aren't hung correctly on the towel bar, or if the pantry isn't organized just right, he has a fit of uncontrollable anger. When Martin's fits elevate to physical attacks against Laura, she leaves him.
Laura fakes her own death and then begins life anew in a small town with a new identity, and she has a romance with a man named Ben.
Thankfully the movie doesn't try to justify Laura's running away or her adultery, or make her seem perfect; it simply shows the choices she makes. Whether she makes the right choices is all up to your own moral radar, and I like that. If this were "Enough", the case would likely be much different. But this isn't "Enough". This is much, much better.
"Sleeping With the Enemy" is a smart film that actually let's the audience see why Laura feels she has the right to leave Martin. Mostly it has to do with her own inability to deal with Martin's mental infirmities, and that's an understandable problem. OCD can ruin lives, and it can seem overwhelming when you try to help someone who suffers from it. I'm not saying it's right to run away, but her fear is legitimately justifiable. And it's obviously her fear that causes her to overlook the possibility of getting Martin some help.
Her killing Martin is also justifiable. When he bursts into her house with a gun, that provides a reason to kill him. And, what do you know, it makes sense. Do I even have to say the E word again? We all know that movie provides no good reasons for anything that it's characters do. Even though the end of Sleeping With the Enemy is predictable, it's really the only ending the movie can logically come to by that point so I really can't complain, and I'll stay off my soapbox. Besides, I need to save it for when I review "Irreversible."
"Sleeping With the Enemy" has other merits besides the smart script. For one, the cinematography is beautiful, especially in the early scenes at Laura and Martin's beach-front home. I was left saying "Wow." Another selling point is the acting. Julia Roberts, who usually bugs me, does a fine job as Laura. She never takes it into the territory of melodrama or schlock, thankfully. Patrick Bergen, as Martin, does a good job of portraying a sufferer of OCD and, when Laura's ruse is revealed, an enraged husband. He has reason to be angry with Laura for leaving him (or so he believes thanks to his mental issues), plus he has those self-confidence issues that fuel his instability. To some he may seem over-the-top, but to me he seemed very real. Like I said, OCD wrecks those who suffer from it.
My only real problems with the movie were the silly way Martin died (Three bullets, and he's still standing? Please!) and an unnecessary dance number with Laura and Ben. Why is it that some filmmakers deem it necessary to use pointless dance routines to show that two people are in love? And what place do songs like "Runaround Sue" and "Brown-Eyed Girl" have in a movie like this? However distracting those errors may be, "Sleeping with the Enemy" is a fine movie that actually makes the effort to realistically portray real issues. And for that, I commend it.