Consenting Adults

I dont understand people, why would you give it a 5.7/10 , this movie is a very Solid 8/10, A true thriller like we dont have anymore these days, tension, suspence , solid acting, okay i was upset about the wife of the good Guy, but thats part of the entertaiment, Unfortunately he forgive her. But yes you cannot have a Bad Time watching Consenting adult.

"Consenting Adults" has a great premise, and the first half plays more like an observant drama about picture-perfect American suburbs, marital fidelity, the forbidden fruit, the pull of living on the edge, "does money buy you happiness?", etc. The second half is not as good as the first, and the violent climactic fight is particularly conventional. Yet on the whole this remains an above-average early-1990s thriller. Kevin Spacey's role is like a rehearsal for the double whammy of "calm psychopaths" that made him famous in 1995 ("Seven" and "The Usual Suspects"), Rebecca Miller makes a stunning femme fatale (or is she just an innocent victim? The fact that we don't know which for a long time is one of the film's strong points), the music score is very Bernard Herrmann-like, and the final shot is a very clever visual pun. **1/2 out of 4.

This is odd. The director and co-star of "Sophie's Choice" teamed up again and made one of the most confusing movies. Kevin Kline and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio play a laid-back couple whose new neighbors (Kevin Spacey and Rebecca Miller) aren't quite what they seem. Spacey's role gives a faint hit of Lester Burnham, but there's no real way to compare "Consenting Adults" with "American Beauty". The movie is just weird. I'm befuddled as to how Alan J. Pakula, the man behind "Klute", "The Parallax View", "All the President's Men" and "Sophie's Choice", could fall down to this. Admittedly, not everyone can have a perfect record, but something as low-quality as this? Just bizarre.

Spoilers herein. Some films are built around the notion of an acting duel, nothing more. And here we have two of the best at this sort of thing. Both excel at bouncing off of another actor. Here, the plot handily accommodates: Spacey's character is an actor himself who pulls a huge con on Kline. Kline is able to come out on top, but by cheating. We know to expect this because Kline is established early in the film as a cheater. Ted's Evaluation -- 1 of 4: You can find something better to do with this part of your life.

Considering the acting talent and the late, great director Alan J. Pakula you would expect "Consenting Adults" to be a top notch thriller. Think again. It starts off well but then slowly descends into silliness. Kevin Kline and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio play a happily married couple in suburbia. In next store moves Kevin Spacey and his very sexy wife. As the men get to know one another Spacey continually hints that maybe the couples show switch for a night of wild sex. When Kline finally does agree Spacey's wife ends up dead. So far so good. Then the movie stumbles into cliches, predictability, and ridiculous scenes that make you wonder how the screenwriter let the good idea get away.

highly underrated. spacey provides a top notch performance, as does the rest of the cast. there is a solid chemistry between all the players which far outshadows any scripting weakness. this is a very good film, with several plot twists and great pacing.

Consenting adults has a strong cast, a decent script and a deeper than expected story, that builds and sustains enough tension throughout; without sinking into as much sexually explicit detail, as the title may suggest. Kevin Kline, Kevin Spacey, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio and Rebecca Miller all portray there characters well, with Spacey and Miller stealing most of the credit. Consenting Adults is a reasonably safe choice for most thriller fans, it's not the best out there; but its entertaining and intriguing enough to please. 6/10

Alan J. Pakula's 'Consenting Adults' is A Decent Thriller! It has some catchy moments & convincing performances working for it. 'Consenting Adults' Synopsis: A man is falsely accused of murdering his neighbor's wife. 'Consenting Adults' has its share of minuses, but what makes most of the goings-on work, is its brisk Screenplay Written by Matthew Chapman. It has some good, catchy moments, that are note-worthy. Alan J. Pakula's is perfect. Cinematography is good. Performance-Wise: Kevin Kline is excellent. Has there ever been a better scene-stealer? Kevin Spacey makes a good menace, although he's been better. Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio is fabulous in a performance that ranks amongst her finest to date. Rebecca Miller is highly effective. Forest Whitaker is believable. On the whole, 'Consenting Adults' has merits.

Here's a film I thought was unfairly criticized by the national critics. Panned by about everyone, I thought this thriller was pretty good. Yes, there is one major credibility gap in a key segment which I, too was ridiculous. (How can you make love to your neighbor, even in darkness, and not know who it is?!) Also, there is a clichéd ending, but that's not unusual in films. Overall, however, I thought it was entertaining and nicely filmed. I'd like to see this on a DVD with a better transfer. The main actors - Kevin Kline, Kevin Spacey, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio - were all interesting, especially Spacey's villain character. It was also interesting to E. G. Marshall, who was a big star on television years ago. I'm sorry his role was so short. The film also had good suspense. All of these are why I think the film is a lot better than it's considered.