‘Sex, Lies, and Videotape’ (1989) put director Steven Soderbergh on the map when he won the Palme d’Or at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival. Starring James Spader, Andie Mac Dowell, Peter Gallagher and Laura San Giacomo, the film centers on a married couple- ‘Ann’ (Mac Dowell) and 'John' (Gallagher)- at the near end of their relationship. While John screws around behind Ann’s back with her sister Cynthia (Giacomo), Ann finds solace and friendship in their eccentric neighbor ‘Graham Dalton’ (Spader), an impotent loner who gets off on filming women talk about their sexual fantasies and frustrated sex lives.

Set in Baton Rouge, Graham comes to town to visit his college friend John and begins to rent the annex to his and Ann’s house. John is happy to welcome his old friend after so many years. While John spends most of his days between the office and Cynthia’s house, carrying on an illicit affair, Ann spends most of her time at home as a lonely and sexually frustrated housewife.

Ann begins to spend time at the annex with Graham where they form an unlikely friendship. One day Ann discovers Graham has an unusual number of videotapes all labeled with different names of women; we learn that Graham is impotent around women and can only be aroused when alone with these tapes. Graham’s problems with intimacy is psychologically linked to a failed relationship with his ex-girlfriend, after which he closed off to further relationships. Repulsed at first by his creepy film hobby, Ann later becomes intrigued and insists on becoming one of his subjects to film.

While on film, Ann discloses to Graham that she has never had an orgasm and her husband is having an affair. Between visits to a psychologist and the emotional purgation on Graham’s film, Ann is finally able to objectively see the sad reality of her life. She asks John for a divorce.

Mixing the subject of sex, lies and videotaping- and all without showing gratuitous sex and almost no nudity- the film poses the questions everyone asks but few have the courage to confront through communication and facing headon the deepest darkest part of one's psyche in order to work through one's fears and problems; a groundbreaking narrative utilizing the modes of technology, psychology and sexual candidness to understand oneself better.

**Steven Soderbergh is expected to appear at the 66th Cannes Film Festival to premier his made for TV (HBO) film: ‘Behind The Candelabra’ (2013) starring Michael Douglas and Matt Damon. If the film screens, it will be out of competition.

Written by Vanessa McMahon. March 28th, 2013.