Intelligent, surprisingly enveloping movie is one that sneaked up on a lot of people in 1989, and has that effect on the unsuspecting today. A somewhat-frigid young woman becomes fascinated with her husband's friend, an emotionally confused man whose hobby is videotaping sexual conversations with women. The film takes about a quarter of an hour to kick in, yet once the character motivations become more clear it's quite an engrossing experience, a movie that unfolds rather like a novel. For those who stick with it, an intense drama peopled with some sordid characters who are nevertheless brilliantly portrayed by the cast. Andie MacDowell, as the wife who is so homespun she can't even swear, has rarely been so complex and affecting on film. **1/2 from ****