Touches You

Powerful

Expected more

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

Mike Nichols has one of the most overblown reputations in cinema. To my mind he's responsible for one film classic: The Graduate. The rest of his films are a mix: workmanlike entertainments (Working Girl, Primary Colors, Postcards from the Edge),duds(The Fortune, Regarding Henry, Wolf),disasters(Catch 22, Day of the Dolphin),overrated (Silkwood, Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf?). Carnal Knowledge is overrated and a dud and it is rarely screened or talked about today, even though it was much discussed at the time of it's release. It's view of the battle of the sexes is one of a constant war with no winners. It follows the sexual history of 2 men, Jack Nicholson and the oafish Art Garfunkel, whose friendship like many other things in their lives is never explained. With few exteriors, frequent close-ups and no sense of time or place Carnal Knowledge feels claustrophobic with a dreary moralistic tone. As for the women, Candice Bergen and Ann-Margret are playing a blank and a cliché respectively, Carol Kane makes her film debut looking and acting like a zombie while Rita Moreno has a good bit at the end and Cynthia O'Neal makes a suitably repellent ball-buster.

Goodish, but not great. Explores the relationship mores of the 60s and 70s and comes up with some interesting observations. However, the observations often feel one-dimensional, judgemental and superficial. Plot starts very slowly, so much so I was going to give up on the movie after 15-20 minutes. However, the middle section is good, especially the interactions between Jack Nicholson and Ann-Margret. Some holes and missing information in the plot though. Ending feels anti-climactic, and, once again, one-dimensional.Good performances from Jack Nicholson, Art Gurfunkel and Ann-Margret, who received a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination for her performance. Garfunkel's performance was better than expected.

Sandy (Arthur Garfunkel) and Jonathan Fuerst (Jack Nicholson) are college roommates in the late 40s. They meet Susan (Candice Bergen) at a party. Sandy is more sensitive and loses his virginity to her. Susan cheats on Sandy with the cruder Jonathan. Sandy and Susan eventually marry. As the years go by, Jonathan becomes a picky ladies' man. Sandy is unsatisfied with his stale home life with Susan. Jonathan has a sexy new girl Bobbie (Ann-Margret).The talk is frank from the two guys. It is edgy for its times. The plot does meander. It's a lot of sex and relationship talk from the characters. It's not really about the characters getting from point A to point B. It's more about these distinct characters crashing against each other over the years. It's certainly worthwhile to see what was considered risqué at a specific time. Also Ann-Margret was damn sexy.

I just recently watched Carnal Knowledge. I didn't really care for it. My main reason for watching it was because I have adored Ann-Margret all these years since the 60's when she first came on the scene.I didn't want to watch carnal Knowledge when it first came out because I heard that Ann-Margret did nude scenes in them. I know that sounds silly but back then that was a big deal for me. More and more stars were starting to do nude scenes I am mostly writing this review to respond to fedor8's review titled "Good Comedy/Drama" She stated that Ann-Margret had silicone breast Implants done. She is wrong. Ann-Margret states in her biography that she wrote in the early 90's that she deliberately gained thirty lbs to look more like the way Bobbie would look. Ann-Margret did a fanatic job. Jack Nicholson also was great.