Portnoy's Complaint

Whoa! I've heard of some screwed up people, but Alexander Portnoy (Richard Benjamin) belongs in a class on his own. Through a session with his psychiatrist, he tells the story of how his overbearing mother (Lee Grant) kept a little bit too tight a rein on his sexuality during his formative years, and he ended up with a mangled view of relationships. He dates a number of women, but none of them work out. As Alexander says at one point: "I'm living my life as a Jewish joke."

The sad part is, much what happens in "Portnoy's Complaint" probably really happened. Philip Roth's two most famous novels (the other one was "Goodbye, Columbus") both dealt with Jewish neurosis. Alexander's mother is truly the sort of mother whom no one wants to have (she takes a certain bizarre interest in the results of people's bodily functions). Some people may wonder why they made this into a movie, but it definitely shows a side of life that we too often forget about. And anyway, regardless of one's opinion of it, "Portnoy's Complaint" is a much more justifiable movie than "Independence Day" or Bio-Dome".

I usually dislike movies based on famous novels. This one is funny, bold and deep, yet the critics think it's trash. My criticism of the movie is that it didn't go far enough. Richard Benjamin is terribly miscast. He is far too handsome, patrician and cool. He belongs in a country club, hunting foxes. They should have picked a homelier, less serene type. The action should have been less restrained and "tasteful". They should have laid it on thick, used more camp. At times the film looked like a Ross Hunter production!!! It was too nice and smooth. But despite these major insufficiencies, it is one of the better films ever made. I must read the novel. But how can I do that, given my vow never to read fiction again?

This film feels like the smarmy ramblings of an emotional 8-year-old, replete with indulgent fantasies a la Walter Mitty. The action revolves around its main character's (Richard Benjamin) perpetual, neurotic obsession with all bodily fluids and his dysfunctional family.

Richard Benjamin is perfectly cast as Portnoy, an uninteresting bundle of neuroses.

Overall, the film has as much charm as an episode of "Love American Style" written and directed by a foul-mouthed boy with a dictionary of vulgar words at his elbow. I can't imagine that anyone associated with this film was forever proud of his/her part in it.

This movie was bold for its time, especially in its use of "bad" language, and it still looks good. Some modern reviewers wrote things like this: "Amazing that anyone had the nerve to attempt to translate Philip Roth's infamous novel to the screen. The neurotic Jewish boy, who has a strange relationship with his mother and an obsession with sex, should be neutered. It's worth viewing only as a curiosity." (Mick Martin and Marsha Porter, Video Movie Guide, 2002.) But the film is much more than an historical curiosity. It also throws a revealing light on the mores of only a generation ago -- what was shocking then, is no longer so, despite hypersensitive writers like Martin and Porter.

Richard Benjamin is psychologically tortured merely by being a product of his environment....He must prove something to everyone as well as himself...Once he and Karen Black are tired of great sex, their relationship takes a nosedive...Karen Black's perception of Richard Benjamin is that he cannot avoid denigrating her even if he tries. Regardless of what he might say, she is definitely not a Columbia Graduate, and she definitely does not buy her clothes at Peck and Peck... Neither one of these two people feel that their lives make sense....The plain truth is that once these two are tired of just having sex, all evidence points to the fact that they hate one another..Richard Benjamin's undetermined plight in life is a heinous source of consternation to him!!..Both major characters in this movie will be lambasted from all sides, and while they are not ready for the world, the world is also not really ready for them!!!...This movie is a compelling revelation of the side effect from the sexual revolution....When Mom and Dad told you not to play with matches, they also did not want you to play with blow torches as well!! If you don't like what's going on with your life, Change it!!..However, if all you can recognize as a common bond with the opposite gender is casual sex, then you are going out of the frying pan and into the fire!! It is the fact that people like Karen Black and Richard Benjamin cannot fully understand the concept of "We reap what we sow" that keeps the Park Ave shrinks in business!! The cogency of human errors in this film simply astounds you, the audience has no choice but to empathize yet not sympathize with the characters in the movie.. What is wrong with negative realism in a film is that a great deal of movie watchers do not perceive this as entertainment...I do!!...I was very impressed with this film, particularly when you consider the year it was made...This movie is clairvoyant enough to reach today's thoughts on casual sex!!..Furthermore, it is a proverbial case of how some things never change.. The culprit usually being that of extreme selfishness!! What is the typical reaction to messing up your emotions? Blame your environment!!...Bear in mind one thing...Recrimination without change is like French fries without Ketchup!!!...This movie is GREAT because the truth not only hurts the characters in the movie, but it also offends the audience...Sorry about that Frankie and Annette Fans!!