Your Friends and Neighbours *** (1998, Jason Patric, Catherine Keener, Ben Stiller, Nastassja Kinski, Aaron Eckhart, Amy Brenneman) – Classic Movie Review 1831

Writer-director Neil LaBute’s darkly satirical 1998 tale of bed hopping among some of life’s unhappy couples is extreme, cynical and quite alienating. But it is also very well acted and cleverly scripted.

It’s a smart movie, with lots of clever talk, even if writer-director LaBute makes it all quite chilling. Jason Patric as a nasty womanizer and Catherine Keener are particularly impressive. Ben Stiller, Nastassja Kinski, Aaron Eckhart and Amy Brenneman also star.

Its all starts with theatre instructor Jerry (Stiller) beginning an affair with Mary (Brenneman), prompting a chain of events affecting their partners Terri (Keener) and Barry (Eckhart), as well as Cheri (Kinski) and Cary (Patric).

© Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Movie Review 1831

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