Author's Note--Dr. Freudine is a psychiatrist character I created to offer new, entertaining perspectives on books and movies. In the last segment of the story in the Women Who Think Too Much review, Irish and Dr. Freudine have returned to his home from a sex therapy "session".
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"I have a confession," I murmur, glancing up at Irish as we sit together in my car and think deep thoughts while listening to Stevie Ray Vaughn. "Red Shoe Diaries: The Game was Miss Cunengonde's movie pick, not mine."

He laughs. "I wondered about that. It wasn't what I expected you to use for sex therapy. Maybe When Harry Met Sally or Fatal Attraction, hehe."

"I know one that combines those. How about Carnal Knowledge with..."

"With Jack Nicholson at his nastiest, egotistical prime, right? Yeah, that's the type of flick I expected you'd go for. Erotic, dramatic, biting wit, war between the sexes, heartache, even sexual disorders never spoken about in pre-Viagra days." Irish grins.

"Oh, it has everything. Two college guys in the late 40s trying to meet and make out with big-titted girls..."

"'The Sound of Silence' Art Garfunkel and "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" Nicholson are pretty strange friends..."

I frown, nodding at him. "I know! It's hard to believe they stayed such good friends until the movie ends when they're 40 in 1970. When Art's neurotic, wimpy character, Sandy, finally scores with Candice Bergen's sensitive man-loving character (think Oliver's Story), Susan, then Jack's jealous character, Jonathan, has to move in on her. Some friend! And he doesn't get caught. He sabotages his buddy's next relationship, too, by appealing to Sandy's baser instinct."

"Mmmm, Ann-Margret! Viva Las Vegas! I'd also be tempted to swap my woman for a fling with her. Talk about a taboo subject in 1971, she, as Bobbie, is about ten years older than Jonathan, but that doesn't matter to Jonathan. Only looks are important to him. You probably enjoyed his hairy chest, but not as much as I loved her birthday suit!"

"Well, she did win a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress," I comment. He looks surprised and guffaws. "Not that she wasn't effective in her presentation of a helpless woman in love with a cad."

"Remember when she begs Jonathan to marry her to give her a reason to live and he yells, "Is this an ultimatum? Answer me, you ball-busting, castrating, son of a c*nt b!tch! Is this an ultimatum or what?" That scene is unforgettable, how crazy he gets without laying a hand on her. It's the dialogue, their body language."

"Yeah. He's despicable and yet she tries to kill herself later. It just makes me so sad for these characters. For Sandy, Susan and the other girls. They're all looking for different things in life and can't understand each other...or themselves."

Irish kisses the top of my head, tightening his embrace a little. "The battle of the sexes was never shown more disturbingly. Susan said everyone puts on an act, a different one for everyone you know, then proves it when she plays into Jonathan's game and dupes poor Sandy. I don't play games, though. Do you?"

"Never." I'm quiet, reflecting on how much more thought and emotion-provoking Carnal Knowledge is than Red Shoe Diaries: The Game, but without much hope. Maybe too heavy for Miss Cunengonde, but the guys might have identified with Sandy or Jonathan. Hopefully Sandy.

"That's good," Irish mutters and shakes me a bit. "Not falling asleep on me, are you?"

I smile. "No, not this time. Do you know that the writer of the movie, Jules Feiffer, was a cartoonist and Carnal Knowledge was the expansion of a strip of his?"

"I didn't know that."

"I can see Sandy as Charlie Brown in love with Lucy, but Jonathan without Nicholson's charisma couldn't be half as intriguing. A cartoon Jonathan just wouldn't keep my interest."

"Like Charlie Brown...Yeah and his girls keep taking the ball away! Maybe Lucy is a ball-busting, castrating, son of a c*nt b!tch, hahaha," Irish jokes.

I laugh. "She plays a psychiatrist. I don't think so!"

"But that's just a cover, an act, you see." He tugs my nose. "Anything else you want to say about that 98-minute, "The Graduate" Mike Nichols' movie?"

"Hey, you're pretty sharp yourself. Only that I really was mesmerized by Rita Moreno (remember her from West Side Story?) playing an aging hooker. Having her put on an act for Jonathan was the only way for him to..."

"You are a real man," Irish says breathlessly. "The kind of man who needs a woman who sees your inner power. How extraordinary. Virile. Domineering. Robust. It's rising, it's rising! You need a woman to worship you for the strong man you are who doesn't need anybody. It's up!"

I shake with laughter. "It sounds funny, but it's really not. Sex through words. Cybersex junkies could relate, but actually it'll touch a lot of nerves. Some people hate the movie for pointing out their sexual or intimacy problems."

"Since we like the movie, that must mean we have no problems, right?"

I regard him with half-lidded eyes. "You are a real man. The kind..."

"Oh, shut up!" He plants one on my lips. "I'm not anything like him. Good night, Doc." He opens his door and steps out, then pauses. "Come over tomorrow night, okay?"

"Of course. I love domineering men!" I laugh as he slams the door.


Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age