Carnal Knowledge (1971)

Plot so thin, it passes unnoticed.

Amateur movie with Big budget

Admirable film.

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

I remember Edith Bunker on "All in the Family" thinking this was a religious movie-- "Cardinal Knowledge." This is a movie about sex. It involve a couple guys who become totally focused on it, beginning in their college days when they share notes on their conquests. They are portrayed by Jack Nicholson and Art Garfunkel. One is a walking libido, the other a passive, sensitive guy. We get to watch as the two of them go through a tortured life, never quite getting what they want. They attract, then leave women. They ignore all that is positive in life to reach an end they determined when they were kids. Nicholson is a sad and unsatisfied character who is ultimately impotent after experiencing the chase. Garfunkel has a grandiose expectation of the experience and becomes so maudlin as to turn everyone off. Two sound performances in a movie that's not for everyone.

The free love era of the late 1960's is here on film. Jack Nicholson and Art Garfunkel are college room mates trying to score women. It is a fairly hard R rated film .There is a fleshy sequence of Ann Margaret with Nicholson that fires up the imagination. Nicholson while restrained does show some of the stuff that he would really cut loose later in films. While it is an interesting film for the period, supposedly based on Gerfunkels college experience, I got the impression they held back on the wildness, partly because Candice Bergen is her and she does not ever take off her clothes. She disappears halfway through the flick because if she stuck around she might have to take some off.There is a fair amount of talent in this one, but the script is a bit of a let down because it really makes the reality of the past seem better than it actually was.

Carnal Knowledge (1971) **** (out of 4)Excellent drama from Mike Nichols takes a look at the three decade friendship between two men (Jack Nicholson, Art Garfunkle) and their sex lives. The 1970s brought sex, language and nudity to the big screen and this here was one of the most controversial films of its time but it's also one of the greatest films that has ever dealt with sex and relationships. The movie is brutally raw in its anger, passion and conversations but this is what really makes it stand apart. The dialogue is perfect, the story structure is flawless and we're given some of the best performances that you're ever going to see. I really love the way Nichols structured the picture and especially in the beginning as we see the Garfunkle character fall for a girl (Candice Bergen) but never realizing that Nicholson has gone behind his back and started a relationship with her. The way this love triangle is shown is just flawless in its execution. The middle portion of the film deals with Nicholson's relationship with Bobbie (Ann-Margret) and this too is flawless but incredibly depressing. There's a masterful sequence with the two of them crying and fighting, which is as powerful as anything you're going to see from this era. The entire cast does a fabulous job fitting into their roles. There's no question about Nicholson's brilliance during this era and that includes this film where he plays such a jerk that you can't stand him. The real surprise here is Garfunkel and Ann-Margret, both of them giving the performances of their careers. Nichols' direction is among the best of his career and especially the way he milks the story so well to get every sort of emotion out of it. CARNAL KNOWLEDGE isn't a pretty film to watch due to how ugly the Nicholson character is but it's still one of the best acted films out there and the rawness is something missing from most movies today.

I just recently watched Carnal Knowledge. I didn't really care for it. My main reason for watching it was because I have adored Ann-Margret all these years since the 60's when she first came on the scene.I didn't want to watch carnal Knowledge when it first came out because I heard that Ann-Margret did nude scenes in them. I know that sounds silly but back then that was a big deal for me. More and more stars were starting to do nude scenes I am mostly writing this review to respond to fedor8's review titled "Good Comedy/Drama" She stated that Ann-Margret had silicone breast Implants done. She is wrong. Ann-Margret states in her biography that she wrote in the early 90's that she deliberately gained thirty lbs to look more like the way Bobbie would look. Ann-Margret did a fanatic job. Jack Nicholson also was great.