seen september 5 , 1998 at 10 p .
m .
at the sony nickelodeon theaters ( boston , ma ) , theater # 2 , with matt perreault for free using my sony / loews critic 's pass .
[ theater rating :
* * 1/2 : okay seats , sound , and picture ] modern society is now inundated with more sex and sexuality than it ever has been before , from teenage sitcoms to nc-17-rated films about fetishes .
the biggest debate of the subject is whether or not it affects reality or just reflects it .
"
your friends and neighbors " takes a different approach as it 's a film that revolves almost entirely around sex and how can be used for both pain and pleasure even within a small circle of friends .
one of the most important aspects of the film that most be noted and analyzed before the film can really be dissected as a whole is writer / director neil labute 's basic setup and some of the unique methods he employs to tell the story .
firstly , and most importantly is the fact the script tells a rather complex , detailed story of lust , betrayal , arrogance , hypocrisy , greed , and just plain stupidity between six different characters ( three men , three women ) , without hardly any supporting characters , ( a few have a line or two ) , mostly extras .
everything they do will somehow affect another character and ultimately come full - circle back to themselves , whether it be positive or negative .
but to just state
this is arbitrary , and explaining and criticizing the process is difficult .
labute 's ability to tell his story through a few characters is a remarkable feat , but what 's specifically impressive is the fact the characters ' names are never revealed until the end credits roll .
for the sake of this review , i will describe the characters and refer to them as their main characteristic .
another interesting accomplishment is the fact every scene takes place inside with limited focus .
we 're always able to tell where the characters are ( someone 's home , the gym , a restaurant , hotel room , etc . ) , but what the city they live in , what year it is , what the society is like ,
etc .
is relatively unknown .
the film is a complete character study with the tight , intense drama of the theater .
no one plot dominates the story , which makes the first act a bit tedious for its lack of background .
we 're simply dropped in on the characters ' lives and are expected to figure out the rest .
the characters are a group of middle - class white people who are all successful at what they do , but they 're only concern right now seems to be their sex lives .
first there 's barry ( eckhart ) and mary ( brenneman ) , a married couple who are going through a dry spell not unlike many other couples in other situations who do n't know what they 're problem is .
barry is kind of a dorky businessman who loves his wife , and the sex they have , but does n't have a lot of ambition - he just follows everyone else .
mary is a writer of some sort , but lacks aggression and emotion like her husband and is the meekness character , but ironically , does n't hesitate to commit adultery just to feel something .
labute 's script does a good job in characterizing mary and barry as individuals , but is very light on chemistry and connection between the two .
obviously , this is the theme , which is enhanced by the actors ' good performances , but at the same time seems just a bit hollow .
another couple is jerry ( stiller ) and terri ( keener ) who live together and seem to have been involved with each other for a long time , yet they constantly argue over anything and everything .
their sex life is also fraught with problems and for some reason they continue to do it throughout their infidelitous relationship .
if only one aspect of the film could use improvement , it would be this area .
it 's natural for a married couple to become bored with each other , but why would two people who can barely stand each other continue to have sex and live together ?
what did they ever see in the other person to begin with ?
labute never really answers , but since the film is more concerned with the payoff than the process , it still makes for good drama , tension , and manip ulation
so intricate and deceitful
it 's fascinating .
two other characters act as catalysts , cary ( jason patric ) and cheri ( natassja kinski ) .
cary is an arrogant , hostile sex - maniac who defines the word " bastard .
"
somehow he is able to bend women to his will , either through charm or just attitude , into getting his way .
he 's the kind of guy everyone should stay away from as we realize he 's secretly perverted , but somehow barry finds comfort in his company , although jerry is always nervous around him .
patric gives an outstanding performance , so much so that we want to know more about him despite how intimidating and unlikable he is .
cheri is a character labute uses as a catalyst to see how the other characters react to her .
she works in an art museum and at some point throughout the film , each character will engage her in almost the exact same conversation and her reaction is always different , from becoming involved in a relationship with one , to brushing it off as small talk with another , to being outright appalled by yet another .
she 's a sweet woman , perhaps the most normal of any of the characters , and although her symbolism is obvious , her role as the outsider is the most relatable .
i will not reveal who cheats on who and how each character is specifically affected by the others ' action , as that 's the hook of the film .
the first two acts begin to set up the characters and each 's scenarios , but it 's often difficult to tell what they will do about it and with whom .
the result is sometimes surprising , other times predictable , but the actual course of actions is always fascinating . for a while everyone has their fun , but ultimately each character 's guilt , attitude , or ignorance will disserve them .
one of the most important things to note is how realistic the story is supposed to be .
since the characters only interact with each other there is n't much pop culture references , as almost everything has a deeper philosophy behind it .
are we to assume that these people are , as the title states , our friends and neighbors ?
i do n't know of anyone going through the same situations as these people .
often times the film is not unlike a network melodrama , other times situations are like those not seen outside a porno movie .
but what this film does have that the others do n't is repercussions in the end .
although the film creates its own reality , it goes to show that even the immoral are n't immortal .
in what way " your friends and neighbors " is supposed to work is open to interpretation .
it definitely has a lot to say about the price that comes with infidelity , but it could have been even better had it expanded on that theme more specifically .
still , it 's an accomplishment in film - making because it has put a timeless theme into a modern perspective .
an accomplishment in film - making does a good job in characterizing always fascinating it 's fascinating enhanced by the actors ' good performances