Compromising Positions

Frank Perry, a middling director I know best for DAVID AND LISA, MOMMIE DEAREST, comes up with a far more comic product in COMPROMISING POSITIONS. A generally humorous screenplay by Susan Isaacs helps, especially with with some clever twists and the relationship between Julia and Sarandon; cinematography is competent enough, with some interesting angle shots in the tooth extraction room at the start; and some telling closeups of Susan Sarandon, whose eye-rolling greatly contributes to the film's offbeat oddball atmosphere. The church scene where many woman cry over the romeo dentist's passing is memorable.

Sarandon dominates the film - she is a real pleasure to watch - and Raul Julia, Joe Mantegna, Judith Ivey and Josh Mostel provide more than adequate support.

No masterpiece, but completely enjoyable until the final quarter, at which point it becomes rather bland. The scene where a cop car drives up and the cop distracts the baddie is just too pat and (in my opinion) does not fit in with the rest of the movie, but that scene is not enough to condemn the film. 7/10.