Columbo: Sex and the Married Detective

Columbo playing the tuba? Yes, that's one of the highlights of this delightful and funny adventure, in which a famous sex therapist crosses wits with our hero. Another great moment is Peter Falk giving advice to a bunch of psychiatrists! This really is one of the best outings for Columbo and will delight fans, both old and new.

Columbo's episodes are really quite a combination of serious, lightheartedness, good acting, an excellent cast, and drama mixed with comedy. Sex and the Married Detective casts Lindsay Crouse who is an excellent actress and does a superb job in this episode. She plays a sex therapist who discovers and learns of her lover's infidelity. She decides revenge. I found this episode to be much more entertaining than some others and still worth watching again and again. I found the interaction between Columbo and the Crouse to be the most interesting as well. Like most of Columbo episodes, one of the trademarks is to treat the audience and the suspect with intelligence rather than dumbing them down.

SEX AND THE MARRIED DETECTIVE was one of the first outings for TV detective Columbo after an eleven-year hiatus for the show. It's certainly a return to the classy days of old, with strong production values, an effective soundtrack, and an above-average script which has a ball with the unusual premise.

Guest star Lindsay Crouse plays a sex therapist who discovers that her boyfriend is cheating on her. She decides to commit the perfect murder by disguising herself as another woman and bumping him off - only to have the crumpled sleuth turn up in an attempt to solve the crime. We're in cosy territory here with a very familiar format, but the sex angle of the screenplay allows for plenty of funny moments where we see Columbo actively embarrassed for once.

In fact, there's a noticeable comedic angle to the whole film, and Peter Falk seems to be having a ball with it. The scene where he has a go at playing the tuba is a particular delight. Crouse is an effective star and the two have some great interplay. And it's not all comedy - the set-piece scene with the briefcase is a masterclass in building suspense to great effect.

The '80's Columbo movies aren't really known as the best one within the series but this movie forms a good and enjoyable exception. No big surprises, since the movie is directed by James Frawley, who always knew how to make a good and entertaining Columbo movie.

It's also a movie with one of the best Columbo movie-titles. Sex and Columbo in one sentence is of course something completely strange, funny and interesting, before you even start to learn what this movie is all about. When a successful sex therapist learns that her lover is cheating on her she murders him. The fact that Columbo's main suspect is a sex therapist brings the lieutenant in some awkward and embarrassing positions, which of course works out well for the movie its amusement level. It's also a surprising sensual movie for a Columbo movie entry. Normally the movies are quite tame, old '30's movie- and TV style, with its romance.

The movie has a good build up and is also otherwise fine constructed. Despite the fact that the Columbo character shows up fairly late into the movie, the movie isn't among one of the worse ones, like normally so very often is the case when Columbo first enters so late into the story.

Lindsay Crouse played a fine role opposite Peter Falk. She gives away a good performance and her character is a good one. She is an actress who mostly acts in television projects and isn't too well known, despite the fact that she in 1985 received an Oscar nomination for her role in "Places in the Heart", in which she starred together with Ed Harris, Sally Field, John Malkovich and Danny Glover.

It was simply a pleasant movie to watch, due to its pace, story, settings, the very much present humor, characters and performances and directing from James Frawley.

8/10

http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

Lindsey Crouse's tour-de-force performance as a nationally known sex therapist who is betrayed by fiancee Stephen Macht (himself, delightfully slimy) has a special place in my heart. The story is extremely well told with lots of humor and terrific supporting performances. The murder plan is ingenious and memorable executed. Columbo has a field day with the sex therapists. Columbo playing the tuba was a lot of fun also. The look Crouse comes up with for her courtesan alter ego is stunning. The scene where Columbo holds up a social event while he scans the Ladies' Room for clues is an all-time classic. The ending scene with the fireplace is very compellingly set up. This is one Columbo that should not be missed.