reviews". Hal Hinson of The Washington Post praises the performance of Jonathan Pryce, and calls Fletcher "a genuine star". Hinson views the use of monologue positively, saying that directly addressing the audience "draw[s] us into an atmosphere of puckish intimacy, and immediately we become accomplices in his plots -- happy accomplices." Praising Fletcher he concludes "His devilish precocity makes "The Rachel Papers" a bracing treat." Barry McIlheney of Empire Magazine give the film 2/5 and writes "Captures the brash boldness of the novel, but not the literary wit. A misguided affair." Variety says the book brought a fresh direction to old ideas but is critical of the film as "Director Damian Harris isn't able to capture the book's special charms, and resorts to having his young hero address the camera to keep the viewer in the picture." Variety is critical of Fletcher's performance, calling him too self-conscious and "a less than endearing hero", but praises Skye for her sensual performance. Time Out London is critical of the film, writing "the humour is as smug, adolescent and misogynist as it was in the novel". The reviewer says the performance of the lead actors are insubstantial, but also overshadowed by Pryce's crowd-pleasing cameo, putting the blame on the director and script for the barely developed characters and the lack of detail: "The result is without dramatic or moral weight, despite Highway's contrived comeuppance, and it's impossible to care about the characters." References External links 1989 films 1980s coming-of-age drama films 1989 romantic drama films 1980s teen drama films 1980s teen romance films British coming-of-age drama films British romantic drama films British teen drama films British teen romance films 1980s English-language films Films based on British novels Films directed by Damian Harris 1980s British films