Disclosure (1994)

Directed by: Barry Levinson | 128 minutes | drama, thriller | Actors: Demi Moore, Michael Douglas, Donald Sutherland, Caroline Goodall, Roma Mafia, Dylan Baker, Rosemary Forsyth, Dennis Miller, Suzie Plakson, Nicholas Sadler, Jacqueline Kim, Joe Urla, Michael Chieffo, Joseph Atanassio, Faryn Einhorn, Trevor Einhorn, Allan Rich, Kate Williamson, Michael Laskin, Donal Logue, Jack Shearer, Farrah Forke, Kim Tran, Pat Asanti, Marie Rowe, Edward Power, David Drew Gallagher

Nowadays (we write summer 2008) Demi Moore and Michael Douglas are mainly known as tough guys with young partners. That was different in 1994. Demi Moore was still married to Bruce Willis and not to Ashton Kutcher, Michael Douglas was married to a diplomat’s daughter and not to Catherine Zeta-Jones. Both were at the height of their fame, both were hot and director Barry Levinson brought them together. And how!

The sex scene in ‘Disclosure’ is the highlight of the film. Not that there are concrete highlights, because this is a case of sexual intimidation. Meredith rips Tom’s clothes off after a business meeting, but Mr. is nicely married and keeps the boat off. It takes a while for him to come to that decision, yes, but we are of course talking about Demi Moore here. Meredith is angry, sad and disappointed and accuses Tom of rape the next day. Or is there more to it?

Sexual harassment was a hot topic in the 1990s thanks to a number of high profile lawsuits. You can see ‘Disclosure’ as an attempt to start a discussion about the double standards in this area. Why should only ladies be victims of sexual harassment? Why are women comforted and men congratulated when someone of the opposite sex touches them? Another thorny issue that the film raises is the position of women in business. On the top steps of the ladder, men rule. Women have to work twice as hard for half the money and are often passed over for promotions, argues Tom’s colleague Mary Anne.

In the 1990s ‘Disclosure’ was a hip thriller that tackled subjects that were in the spotlight at the time. In addition to the socially relevant storyline about sexism, there is a second, confused storyline about corporate takeovers and virtual reality. Both the first and the second storyline have lost their relevance today. Fortunately, women in top positions are no longer as rare as they were then, the Clinton/Lewinski affair in 1998 gave a new spin on the theme of ‘sex at work’ and nothing ages as quickly as technical gadgets. It’s cute to see how many bombast emails are sent in the film, not to mention Tom’s explorations in cyberspace.

What remains is the acting. Moore and Douglas seem cut out for their roles, but the real fireworks come from Catherine Alvarez (Roma Mafia) and Ben Heller (a wonderfully dry Allan Rich), the two lawyers who look into the rape case. It’s amazing what competent actors can do with well-written dialogue. ‘Disclosure’ may feel a bit dated and derail towards the end, but that doesn’t make the thriller any less entertaining. A great opportunity to see Douglas and Moore in action in the kind of roles they grew up with.