Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, February 9, 1991 TAG: 9102090445
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: E-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: CHRIS GLADDEN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
That's surprising when you consider its director, Joseph Ruben, made the taut and terrifying "The Stepfather."
This time around, the budget's obviously bigger. It's a slickly photographed movie with a real box office star - Julia Roberts. But Ruben and screenwriter Ronald Bass tend to underpopulate this story. It doesn't have the kind of supporting characters that enrich this kind of suspense thriller and therefore seems rather vacant.
What it have, however, is a refreshing sense of restraint when it comes to violence. And Roberts.
Her glowing charm and vulnerability immediately win audience support. Roberts can overcome the unapologetically contrived plot mechanics with the force of her immensely appealing screen presence.
She plays Laura, the abused wife of a rich, obsessive psychopath. His name is Ben and he's played with single-minded seriousness by Patrick Bergin. For three years, Laura puts up with the beatings and Ben's Mr. Clean fixation.
It's not divulging too much of the plot to say she escapes and finds a boyfriend in a town straight out of Norman Rockwell's U.S.A. The new friend is played by Kevin Anderson, who handles the role of the decent and understandably smitten drama teacher as well as he needs to. This is Roberts' show and both Anderson and Bergin seem to realize it.
Ruben resorts to the standard bag of tricks to put audiences on edge and sometimes they succeed. At other times, they're unintentionally funny. Ben isn't the kind of psycho who terrorizes his victims by turning pet bunnies into stew as Glenn Close did in "Fatal Attraction." No. He comes into the house and straightens up the pantry and aligns the hand towels in the bathroom.
`Sleeping With the Enemy': 1/2 A Warner Brothers picture at Valley View Mall 6 (362-8219) and Salem Valley 8 (389-0444). Rated R for language, violence and sexual content; 105 min.
by CNB