IN THE ACTOR’S SPOTLIGHT WITH TOM CRUISE REVIEW: “Risky Business” stars Tom Cruise (Edge of Tomorrow, Mission: Impossible [1996]), Rebecca De Mornay (The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, Wedding Crashers), Joe Pantoliano (The Matrix, Memento), Richard Masur (The Thing [1982], License to Drive), Curtis Armstrong (Better Off Dead, Revenge of the Nerds), Bronson Pinchot (True Romance, Beverly Hills Cop), Nicholas Pryor (The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Executive Decision), Janet Carroll (Enough, Secret Admirer), Shera Danese (John Q, Alpha Dog), Raphael Sbarge (Once Upon a Time [TV series], Independence Day), and Bruce A. Young (Basic Instinct, Jurassic Park III). It is written and directed by Paul Brickman (Men Don’t Leave, True Crime). While his parents are gone on a trip, Joel (Cruise) looks to have some fun. Little does he know what craziness he’ll get himself into.

To kick off this marathon, we must go back to Cruise’s break-out performance. No, not “Taps” (he was in a supporting role), but in the teen crazed “Risky Business.” Above the fact that it was interesting seeing Cruise so young in this feature, I couldn’t believe the balls this story had on it, taking viewers on a thrill ride of hormones, sex, and the business of prostitution (hence the title). I’ve never seen any promotional material for this besides the poster, so you could only imagine how I reacted to Cruise’s Joel getting entangled in the affairs of a prostitute named Lana while his parents are out-of-town. It’s a risqué “Ferris Bueller’s” that doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to the fantasies of the 80s teen, standing as a testament against the normal, atypical flicks being released on the subject of teenage life at the time (one thing to note though is a father’s car is cherished in both “Ferris Bueller’s” and this, which I found to be an interesting connection). I would be lying if I said I left dissatisfied by the experience. Though nudity and sex in film isn’t something cherished by my standards, I enjoyed the concept of the story, as it was often unpredictable and humorous. Cruise displays his charm in this endeavor, certainly stealing the show and being the best part of this movie; the scene with him singing “Old Time Rock and Roll” is enough to make my point. Not only was he fun, but also the cinematography. I liked it’s controlled chaos, molding the story into something unpolished, yet pleasing to the eye. Some of the shots were just astounding in their simplicity with great organization. It expressed a tone in this movie that made it easier to glide past the utter wickedness of the plot, which was often unforgiving during the second act and into the third. The performances were solid, with a fantastic chemistry shared between Cruise and Rebecca De Mornay. Not only that, but we also get to see a young Curtis Armstrong, who, while you may think you don’t know him, has been in several cameos in television series and films (his voice is iconic). For only an hour and forty minutes, “Risky Business” excites and unfolds an interesting story that should engage audiences past the fact that it stars a teenage Tom Cruise. It’s not his best, mind you, but it holds up well. Of course, I didn’t care for the nudity nor the amount of sex (not the greatest amount I’ve seen, leave that to “A Clockwork Orange”), but when you have a story about a kid getting involved in the prostitution business, what do you expect? Also, the ending seemed a bit too unrealistic for my taste in regards to Joel’s future. I won’t spoil anything for those who haven’t seen it, but it played more into a joke than it did the story. “Risky Business” does a good job at entertaining viewers, not only giving interest to a young Cruise at work, but also bestowing a somewhat original tale with an 80s teenage mold to shape it. I’d say it was a fun time. FINAL SCORE: 78%= Juicy Popcorn

Here is the trailer: