Domestic Disturbance

They say necessity is the mother of invention, which explains a lot about Domestic Disturbance because it isn't at all necessary and it lacks any invention at all. The only reason I watched this film in the first place is because of the infamy it carries with it, due to Vince Vaughn and Steve Buscemi becoming involved in a bar fight with locals during filming, resulting in Vaughn being arrested and Buscemi being stabbed several times. Still, I imagine Steve Buscemi still had a more enjoyable experience making this than I did watching it.
He is one of my favourite actors ever so its upsetting to see him playing such a nothing character. He is by far the best of the cast but its still a relatively tuned out performance by his standards. He can play better weasley thugs like this in his sleep.
I do like Vince Vaughn a lot as well, his comic performances being the standout turns in Wedding Crashers, The Break-up and Old School. Thank god he's given up trying to play menacing characters because with this and the Psycho remake he comes across as more Norman Wisdom than Norman Bates.
Teri Polo obviously only appears to try and establish herself as a serious actress, after playing Ben Stiller's fiance in Meet the Parents, but ust succeeds in proving that she should stick to lightweight family comedy and stripping for playboy. Two things that always go hand in hand I feel (Although her playboy pictures did keep me company some nights in my late teenage years, but thats another story).
I didn't want to mention John Travolta who delivers a performance as wooden as the boats that he builds in the film and not quite as buoyant. I've never been a fan of Travolta because he seems to have sustained a career based on a few well judged hip thrusts.
Ultimately, the blame for this ramshackle excuse for a movie has to lie with the Director Harold Becker and the screenwriters because its the incoherent narrative that grates most. This is a film where a father will believe it when his son who is notorious for lying accuses a man he has made it clear he doesn't like of murder, no questions asked. It doesn't make any sense. Or where a mother will move herself and her son in with a man that she clearly knows nothing about and then marries him.
The ultimate irony with Domestic Disturbance is that I had to slap my wife around for a bit afterwards to make myself feel better.
One Star.