sex, lies and videotape's plot is thicker than Peter Gallagher's eyebrows

sex, lies and videotape is a special film because each of its components coalesce seamlessly to form an ingenious, stratified, harrowing view of human relationships and sexuality. The title encapsulates the film excellently: in many scenes, we're viewing the videotapes of one of cinema's most eccentric personalities, and at any other time the four main characters are discussing sex and lies.

Everyone in sex, lies and videotape finds himself or herself in a bizarre predicament; Ann Mullany is a housewife who feels disinterested in sex; she "likes it" but "doesn't see the big deal." Her husband, John (Peter Gallagher), sees this aversion and begins sleeping with her sister, Cynthia (Laura San Giacomo) -- he doesn't enjoy being treated like he's "dipped in shit."

James Spader is both memorable and convincing as Graham Dalton, a former collegemate of John's who comes to town and disrupts everyone's already fragile lives. It is very important that Spader act well because the film could only work if Graham was believable -- we realize that he's very strange from the outset, but his honesty, frankness and humility make it so that any woman is willing to reveal their deepest secrets to him. This fact sets up for some of sex, lies and videotape's most intriguing scenes, and we're glued to the screen every step of the way.

Filmed on a budget of $1.2 million (or $1.8; depends where you check), director Steven Soderbergh handles the movie with a beautifully sparse soundtrack and effective editing that allows the viewer to comprehend situations as characters vaguely reflect on them (such as in the opening, where John and Cynthia get it on while Ann expresses her sexual frustration). The film's finest quality is its abundance of layers -- there's so much occurring that the audience must read into, such as Ann's reasons for her frigidity or John's justification for his affair. The climax, in which one character's core motivations are revealed, is one of the most mesmerizing scenes in American drama.

sex, lies and videotapes's breadth makes it highly replayable; there's so much more to see beyond the first watching. This is not a film which only earns praise for its cost-effective filmmaking; the actual result is deeply resonant and created quite a career for its precocious director.

Rating: A (94/100)