The Decline Of The American Empire

Four men swap stories of their sexual escapades while preparing an elaborate dinner. Four women do the same while working out in a gym. When the two groups come together, mutual betrayals come to light and shatter some illusions. On the surface this is all that happens in this fine film, one of the most successful Canadian exports ever, but the sparkling wit of the dialogue and the acutely observed jabs at our eternal preoccupation with sex distinguish THE DECLINE OF THE AMERICAN EMPIRE. The film's philosophy could best be summed up in a line uttered by one of the men: "Love--the kind that makes your heart race--lasts two years at best. Then the compromises begin."...