British writer/director David Hare (Wetherby) has crafted a meticulously philosophical if somewhat slow moving examination of "romance" in this ultimately satisfying drama about an American doctor named Lillian (Blair Brown) and her instructive love affair with the worldly Raymond (Bruno Ganz). Raymond, an obviously rich and cultured romantic woos the hesitant Lillian by delivering a horse to her apartment. Lillian, no fool, accepts the horse, but remains cautious about Raymond's intentions. She rejects his marriage offer, and suggests instead that they live together. Theirs is a storybook romance, and Lillian finally succumbs to wedlock--only to discover that great love often carries a commensurate price. Just as Lillian is chiding her kid sister Amy (Bridget Fonda) for a too loose lifestyle and an unwillingness to accept any form of responsibility, Lillian herself acts rashly and eventually suffers the consequences. But Hare refuses to take the simple road out with a "tragic" tale of a woman spurned. On the contrary, Lillian ultimately benefits from her relationship with Raymond; though she loses out in a material sense, she definitely wins in her newly discovered approach to life. Like the "strapless" dress designed by her sister Amy, she too can stand up without support. Fine performances from Brown, Ganz, and Fonda coupled with a thought-provoking screenplay from director Hare make Strapless a good film for a quietly reflective evening. Recommended. (R. Pitman)
Strapless
(1990) 99 min. R. $79.95. RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video. Library Journal
Strapless
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