ough ▁Mr . ▁Say les ' s ▁methods ▁are ▁ant id ram atic , ▁the ▁film ▁is ▁full ▁of ▁the ▁kind ▁of ▁middle - class ▁des per ation ▁that ▁s eld om ▁finds ▁its ▁way ▁into ▁mov ies , ▁where ▁emot ions ▁are ▁usually ▁bigger ▁than ▁life . ▁L ian na ▁is ▁never ▁d ull ▁but ▁it ▁is ▁so ▁fin ely ▁tun ed ▁that ▁one ▁has ▁to ▁pay ▁attention ▁to ▁receive ▁it ▁properly . ▁It ▁doesn ' t ▁knock ▁you ▁off ▁your ▁feet , ▁sl am ▁you ▁against ▁the ▁wall ▁or ▁leave ▁you ▁g asp ing ▁for ▁breath . ▁It ' s ▁civil ized ." ▁ ▁In ▁a ▁joint ▁review ▁of ▁L ian na ▁and ▁another ▁John ▁Say les ▁film , ▁Baby ▁It ' s ▁You , ▁Michael ▁S rag ow ▁commented ▁that ▁Say les ▁has ▁his ▁strength s ▁but ▁is ▁consider ably ▁over r ated , ▁and ▁compared ▁both ▁films ▁unf avor ably ▁to ▁his ▁earlier ▁Return ▁of ▁the ▁Sec au cus ▁ 7 . ▁He ▁elabor ated ▁that ▁L ian na ▁is ▁too ▁ide olog ically ▁single - mind ed ▁while ▁failing ▁to ▁offer ▁any ▁new ▁insight ▁or ▁perspective ▁on ▁the ▁subject ▁of ▁les bian ism . ▁He ▁also ▁critic ized ▁the ▁" tr uly ▁embar rass ing ▁audi ovis ual ▁mont ages ", ▁cit ing ▁as ▁an ▁example ▁the ▁les bian ▁love ▁scene ▁being ▁accompanied ▁by ▁the ▁sounds ▁of ▁the ▁women ▁whisper ing ▁in ▁French . ▁ ▁Review ing ▁L ian nas ▁release ▁on ▁DVD , ▁film ▁critic ▁Gl enn