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a30 PEOPLE & arts
Monday 20 July 2020
Review: ‘Fatal Attraction’ in 2020 is called ‘Fatal Affair’

By MARK KENNEDY wrote the script with Ra-
If you’re of a certain age, sheeda Garner — likes
much of the new Netflix surface beauty more than
thriller “Fatal Affair” will be internal strife. He offers lazy,
very familiar. That’s be- hazy editing you’d come
cause it’s really just a dilut- to expect from a daytime
ed retelling of another, sim- movie, filled with pretty
ilarly named film — 1987′s people alone, deep in
“Fatal Attraction.” thought, then sighing and
Weirdly, that doesn’t mean turning toward home, a
this one — reuniting Omar determined expression on
Epps and Nia Long — isn’t their faces. Waves crashing
worth microwaving a buck- on the shore are a motif.
et of popcorn and con- (Drink whenever you see
necting to Netflix when the ’em). This is a world of the
kids are asleep. It’s actually insular rich, where very nice
a bit of a romp, even if the kitchen knives in a very
filmmakers didn’t intend nice wood block are go-
that. This is a thriller that ing to be used in ways their
feels safe the second time German makers never in-
around. You can even en- tended. It’s a world of big
joy it with the sound off. fluffy beds in mansions and
Both films share similar DNA where an Audi with Ellie in
— a middle-aged and the diver’s seat slowly fol-
wealthy but slightly bored lows a Lexus piloted by Da-
spouse has a fling and vid through San Francisco.
-then that lover goes on a It has a script where Ellie,
full-on psychopathic ram- This image released by Netflix shows Nia Long, left, and Omar Epps in a scene from "Fatal Affair." gazing off into the ocean
page until one of them has Associated Press at sunset, tells her daugh-
to die. In 1987, Glenn Close ter, “Now I can breathe.”
was the spurned lover and the perfect husband, the ciates you,” he tells her. The second half of the film This is where Epps’ David
Michael Douglas was the perfect daughter, the per- They make out in one of is the familiar chasing down plays a high-level com-
cheater. fect home,” Long’s Ellie those dimly lit, beautifully of his obsession — outwit- puter hacker but hasn’t yet
“Fatal Affair” scrambles the tells Epp’s character David appointed empty and ting caller ID, peeping and enabled biometrics on his
deck, but not by much. when they have a few too clean nightclub bathrooms blackmailing, the nasty un- own cellphone and choos-
Long stars as a well-to-do many drinks after work one that only appear in movies. expected dinner show-up, es terrible passwords on his
lawyer in a luxurious beach- night. (Too bad she’s not in She suddenly pulls away the turning her best friend personal laptop.
side property outside San a perfect film.) and goes home. That’s it. against her. But director Pe- Twenty-one years after
Francisco who is stalked by David, who crushed on Ellie (“Affair” in the title is kind ter Sullivan doesn’t have his starring as lovers in “In Too
an unstable acquaintance 20 years ago, is still smitten of a stretch). He starts a heart set on a white-knuck- Deep,” Long and Epps get
from her college days, and probes a weakness in slow boil to Crazytown, but le thriller. He is more happy few chances to let sparks
played by Epps. his prey. “You deserve to thankfully this time there’s with a Lifetime film. fly and the script always
“I do have the perfect life, be with a man who appre- no bunny in the pot. Sullivan — who also co- gets in the way. q

Diversity of LGBTQ characters in film declines, study finds

By JAKE COYLE GLAAD called the de- tracks representation of Artists Releasing — received LGBTQ character featured
AP Film Writer crease in non-white LGBTQ lesbian, gay, bisexual and a "good" or higher grade one with more than 10 min-
NEW YORK (AP) — Last year characters "concerning." In transgender people in the for LGBTQ representation. utes of screen time.
saw record representation 2019, 34% of LGBTQ char- media. Sony and Disney received "Despite seeing a record
of LGBTQ characters in the acters were people of col- For the third year in a row, "poor" grades. STX Films, high percentage of LGBTQ-
118 films released by ma- or. That's down from 42% in transgender characters which released "Hustlers," inclusive films this year, the
jor studios, according to a 2018 and 57% in 2017. were also absent from ma- "21 Bridges" and "Uglydolls" industry still has a long way
new study by GLAAD. But "GLAAD is calling on the jor studio releases. last year, failed GLAAD's to go in terms of fairly and
for the third straight year, studios to ensure that with- But overall, GLAAD found test since their 2019 mov- accurately representing
the racial diversity of LG- in two years at least half higher rates of inclusion ies featured zero LGBTQ the LGBTQ community,"
BTQ characters has waned of their LGBTQ characters than it has in the eight years representation. GLAAD has said GLAAD President and
and transgender charac- are people of color," said its been tracking studio sought that studios reach CEO, Sarah Kate Ellis. "If
ters again went unseen. the advocacy group that films. Of the 118 films stud- inclusion of LGBTQ charac- film studios want to stay
ied, 22 (18.6%) included les- ters in 20% of their films by relevant to today's audi-
bian, gay, bisexual, trans- 2021 and 50% by 2024. Par- ences and compete in an
gender or queer charac- amount, Lionsgate, Disney industry that is emphasizing
ters. That's a slight increase and United Artists reached diversity and inclusion, then
from 18.2% in 2018. the 20% level last year. they must urgently reverse
But none of the studios Screen time is also an is- course on the diminishing
studied — the Walt Disney sue. In many of Hollywood's representation of LGBTQ
Co., Warner Bros., Universal biggest films, LGBTQ char- women and people of col-
Pictures, Lionsgate, Para- acters — when included or, as well as the complete
mount Pictures, Sony Pic- — came and went. Only absence of trans charac-
tures, STX Films and United nine of the 22 films with an ters." q