Diagonaldi Very well executed

Selfmageob This was not a good film.

AnhartLinkin This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

Arianna Moses Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

jennifersilas SPOILERS: As I read the other reviews, I realize that not many other's have the same take-away that I do. I really enjoyed this film. In fact I was once in a waiting room with Andie McDowell and I had to restrain myself from going to tell her how much I liked this film. I'm struck by Gabe, and how much he deeply loves Karen. How he is stunned to hear that Tom considers the rage-sex "great," because he always thought great sex was a product of strong connection and respect and mutual love. I also love where he tells the parable of his son's building the intricate cities from their blocks, and then the bomb the whole thing with out ever reflecting on what they built. I'm struck by Tom, who says that in his marriage he once tested his wife to see how long she would go without touching him. Not a sexual touch, but just a hand on the back, or leg, or arm. And he said it was over a week, and it made him very sad. Beth plays the victim very well, but we find that she is not as innocent as she portrays herself to Karen and Gabe. And Karen is stunned to find that her standards keep her from really knowing her friend. When Gabe says that over time practical matters just start to take precedence over abandon, it is a sad admission that all marriages lose the impulsiveness of the early days. This move reminds me to make sure that I don't get so caught up in the practical that I forget to touch my husband. That it's important to reflect on what we have built, and to appreciate what we have together.

mifunesamurai What an unsuspecting surprise. It was a Friday evening and after a long working week, I threw myself on the lounge with my wife and switched on the television for some brain numbing trashy entertainment. After channel surfing for a while - and an elbow from the wife who took charge of the remote control - we settled on this film, DINNER WITH FRIENDS.At first I thought it was a horror film about friends and divorces. I cringed at certain parts that were related to our lives, and most of all, I understood the pain of it all. There were times when I just wanted to get up and lose myself in the WWW of my computer, but I had to see this movie out.Apart from the film trying hard not to be too stage orientated, it was thought provoking cinema. In my world the dialog was precise. The acting, classic new age Hollywood bravado mixed with the old school! And the direction, very unobtrusive and it just got on with the story.At the end of it all, you know the film succeeded when it creates discussions and heated debates with your partner. We haven't talked about a film like this since EYES WIDE SHUT (you can see my review for this film @ /www.imdb.com/title/tt0120663/usercomments-509).

avesummathat Dinner With Friends is the perfect movie for those who felt that Notting Hill was a little too action-packed. The story involves two post-yuppie couples, one of whom split up, and how it affects all of their lives. The film mainly consists of the four of them discussing relationships with each other - and I'm talking about ninety percent conversation here, so be warned - while occasionally interrupted with people looking emotional.This would be a great film for those interested in the psychology behind modern relationships. For the rest of us, it's a potential cure for insomnia.

jotix100 Having seen Donald Margulies' play when it opened in New York, I was interested in what Norman Jewison, the director, had done with it for the screen version. It helps that Mr. Margulies did his own adaptation, although, it appears to this viewer, the stage version was more satisfying. Not that there's anything wrong with the film, it's just that the cast in the play was far superior than these well intentioned actors we see in the movie. Mr. Margulies has tried to open his play, but it just doesn't go anywhere.The basic premise, and a caveat to good friends, is to stay away from "fixing up" prospective marriage partners, as things in life are a bit more complicated than a good ending in a book, a play, a movie, or human relations. Karen and Gabe are happily married. They conjure to arrange a meeting with Beth, a painter, and Tom, a lawyer. Basically, the idea of having mutual friends meet one another, might not be bad, but in reality things should be let alone and let nature takes its course. The bright idea back fires on Karen, who, upon hearing at the beginning of the film that her best friend, Beth, is divorcing Tom, is visibly upset. She feels betrayed by these two people she was instrumental in bringing together.It's hard for both, Gabe and Karen, to think where they went wrong in their match making roles. They never take into consideration that Beth is totally wrong for Tom, and vice versa. The problem is that this couple don't think that Beth and Tom have found new partners in what appears to be a much solid relationships than what they had together. Karen and Gabe are crushed, but in reality, not everything is perfect in their own marriage. We get hints that yes, they are not completely happy, but they have decided to stay in the marriage out of decency and out of duty to their two boys, which is what Beth and Tom have failed to do. Call them old fashioned, but one has to give Karen and Gabe a lot of credit for at least trying to stay together as a family.Andie MacDowell is Karen; she is a beautiful woman. In the movie, Ms. MacDowell appears a bit distant. She loved to bring people together and resents their friends separation. Ms. MacDowell's Karen comes across as a hard and judgmental person. Dennis Quaid tries hard to give Gabe warmth. Perhaps he comes across as the best of the four principals. Toni Collette's Beth is an enigma until her confrontation with Karen at the restaurant, then, we see a woman that is not shy in telling her best friend off as she embarks in a new relationship. Greg Kinnear is Tom. He is perhaps the weakest link in the quartet, as he is perhaps, not treated fairly by Karen, or Gabe.The movie remains a bit theatrical, but Norman Jewison has done wonders with the material.