Director: Nathalie Delon
Stars: Treat Williams, Joanna Pacula, Julianne Phillips
Genre: Comedy | Romance
MPAA Rating: R
Format: VHS
Running Time: 93 Mins
Tagline: "Sometimes The Only Way To Win The Man of Your Dreams Is To Cheat"
THE MOVIE ITSELF:
Right around the same time I viewed "Dream to Believe" I started searching for more obscure 80's movies. usually I find some of these lesser known titles at Thrift stores or Flea Markets. However, when I can't find any I tend to resort to the internet. Relying solely on the web to find them is time consuming, you have to either find people on YouTube who collect similar titles or go on Ebay to see who is selling a lot of old VHS tapes. It may sound silly, to go to extremes for movies that might end up being mediocre or just plain bad, but as a collector the chase to find them is the best part.
So, how did I end up hearing about this movie? Well, when one ends up collecting alot of movies, you get to see plenty of previews of movies that are more unknown than the actual feature presentation. The preview of this movie was in another VHS movie that I own "Slam Dance" a mediocre thriller staring Tom Hulce. The preview for Sweet Lies caught my eye, with all the music, the hairdo, and setting. Being that it's only available in VHS I was able to get a hold a copy of this movie for $ 1.59 through a seller in Amazon.
Now, is the movie worth the search? Well...kinda, this romantic comedy has it's pros and cons. Sweet Lies is about a young insurance investigator (Treat Williams) who is sent to Paris on an assignment to uncover a scam artist. While on stay in France, he meets two young girls who place a bet between each other: to see who wins the guy's heart. Both girls go to extremes to get his attention and affection, and while cute and poetic at times...it becomes a bit silly an over the top as the film progresses. Not to mention that the movie is filled with cliches and familiar dialogue.
The most predictable cliche is midway in the movie when we find out that the little game being played by both girls is going to far, and they both know they are falling for the guy, and who knows who he will choose at the end. Of course, knowing the formula of most chick flicks, the guy usually ends up with neither of them...I guessed this 15 minutes into the movie...and guess what? that is exactly what happened. Also, we meet a younger french girl who is friends with the two lovers that coincidentally is also interested in the guy. The "twists" in this movie tend to fall short and are easy to recognize, even for someone who isn't a fan of the genre, and trust me i'm not much of a fan of romantic comedies.
But, the movie isn't all that bad, it has it's good moments. The two main actresses are by far some of the most gorgeous unknown actresses of the 80's. One of the main girls is played by Joanna Pacula, who is better known for Marked For Death and Tombstone. The other girl is played by Julianne Philips who hasn't had that many big part in other films. But, even with the predictability mentioned, all the cast members do a marvelous job with their performances. For the most part the chemistry between both leads is very strong, I just wished they had refined the script a little more instead of being so predictable. Regardless, the flick is enjoyable, not a bad way to spend a rainy afternoon. I wouldn't mind watching this copy later on.
PICTURE QUALITY :
Unlike " Dream To Believe" the VHS I ordered of "Sweet Lies" was in pristine shape, and one can tell that it was part of private collection. It had no rental stickers, or labels of tampering. The picture quality of this 25 year old tape from CBS Fox wasn't all that bad, the colors are so-so, you can tell the movie is from 1988 and a remastering of the movie would be nice, but it's evident that won't be happening being that no one knows about this movie. Still, the picture quality is overall watchable and it shouldn't cause any strains.
SOUND QUALITY:
This VHS tape is part of CBS Fox's line of tapes that offered Hi-Fi sound for the first time. It's advertised as if it's an astonishing accomplishment. Then again, during early years of VHS the standard sound quality was MONO sound, Dolby Surround was something that became a norm in the early 90's in home entertainment. So, in a sense it' normal to see the Hi-Fi sound advertised on the front cover. A comparison that can be made to today's 7.1. Tru High Def Surround Sound. Anyhow, the sound quality on this tape is nothing to go crazy about; it sounds decent and that's about it.
BOTTOM LINE:
Overall, the movie has plenty of flaws that can be overlooked if you just want to enjoy a typical romantic comedy. I really enjoyed the performances and the cinematographic view of Paris. I recommend this movie only for those who are eager to see forgotten 80's movies or if you like romantic comedies.
Stars: Treat Williams, Joanna Pacula, Julianne Phillips
Genre: Comedy | Romance
MPAA Rating: R
Format: VHS
Running Time: 93 Mins
Tagline: "Sometimes The Only Way To Win The Man of Your Dreams Is To Cheat"
THE MOVIE ITSELF:
Right around the same time I viewed "Dream to Believe" I started searching for more obscure 80's movies. usually I find some of these lesser known titles at Thrift stores or Flea Markets. However, when I can't find any I tend to resort to the internet. Relying solely on the web to find them is time consuming, you have to either find people on YouTube who collect similar titles or go on Ebay to see who is selling a lot of old VHS tapes. It may sound silly, to go to extremes for movies that might end up being mediocre or just plain bad, but as a collector the chase to find them is the best part.
So, how did I end up hearing about this movie? Well, when one ends up collecting alot of movies, you get to see plenty of previews of movies that are more unknown than the actual feature presentation. The preview of this movie was in another VHS movie that I own "Slam Dance" a mediocre thriller staring Tom Hulce. The preview for Sweet Lies caught my eye, with all the music, the hairdo, and setting. Being that it's only available in VHS I was able to get a hold a copy of this movie for $ 1.59 through a seller in Amazon.
Now, is the movie worth the search? Well...kinda, this romantic comedy has it's pros and cons. Sweet Lies is about a young insurance investigator (Treat Williams) who is sent to Paris on an assignment to uncover a scam artist. While on stay in France, he meets two young girls who place a bet between each other: to see who wins the guy's heart. Both girls go to extremes to get his attention and affection, and while cute and poetic at times...it becomes a bit silly an over the top as the film progresses. Not to mention that the movie is filled with cliches and familiar dialogue.The most predictable cliche is midway in the movie when we find out that the little game being played by both girls is going to far, and they both know they are falling for the guy, and who knows who he will choose at the end. Of course, knowing the formula of most chick flicks, the guy usually ends up with neither of them...I guessed this 15 minutes into the movie...and guess what? that is exactly what happened. Also, we meet a younger french girl who is friends with the two lovers that coincidentally is also interested in the guy. The "twists" in this movie tend to fall short and are easy to recognize, even for someone who isn't a fan of the genre, and trust me i'm not much of a fan of romantic comedies.
But, the movie isn't all that bad, it has it's good moments. The two main actresses are by far some of the most gorgeous unknown actresses of the 80's. One of the main girls is played by Joanna Pacula, who is better known for Marked For Death and Tombstone. The other girl is played by Julianne Philips who hasn't had that many big part in other films. But, even with the predictability mentioned, all the cast members do a marvelous job with their performances. For the most part the chemistry between both leads is very strong, I just wished they had refined the script a little more instead of being so predictable. Regardless, the flick is enjoyable, not a bad way to spend a rainy afternoon. I wouldn't mind watching this copy later on.PICTURE QUALITY :
Unlike " Dream To Believe" the VHS I ordered of "Sweet Lies" was in pristine shape, and one can tell that it was part of private collection. It had no rental stickers, or labels of tampering. The picture quality of this 25 year old tape from CBS Fox wasn't all that bad, the colors are so-so, you can tell the movie is from 1988 and a remastering of the movie would be nice, but it's evident that won't be happening being that no one knows about this movie. Still, the picture quality is overall watchable and it shouldn't cause any strains.
SOUND QUALITY:
This VHS tape is part of CBS Fox's line of tapes that offered Hi-Fi sound for the first time. It's advertised as if it's an astonishing accomplishment. Then again, during early years of VHS the standard sound quality was MONO sound, Dolby Surround was something that became a norm in the early 90's in home entertainment. So, in a sense it' normal to see the Hi-Fi sound advertised on the front cover. A comparison that can be made to today's 7.1. Tru High Def Surround Sound. Anyhow, the sound quality on this tape is nothing to go crazy about; it sounds decent and that's about it.
BOTTOM LINE:
Overall, the movie has plenty of flaws that can be overlooked if you just want to enjoy a typical romantic comedy. I really enjoyed the performances and the cinematographic view of Paris. I recommend this movie only for those who are eager to see forgotten 80's movies or if you like romantic comedies.
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