Tax Adviser Sidetracked by ‘Something Wild’

Respectable Wall Street tax consultant Charlie Driggs’ unexpected “walk on the wild side” is more like a mad dash in the 1986 comedy “Something Wild.”

It starts the moment he skips out of a restaurant without paying his bill and meets Lulu, a compelling woman utterly devoid of inhibitions, who immediately propels him into a whirlwind of eroticism and danger.

After his dine-and-dash, Lulu praises Charlie’s spark of rebellion and sizes him up as “a closet rebel.” She offers him a ride downtown and before an hour goes by, she’s led him to a cheap hotel room, handcuffed him to the bed and slyly conned him into taking the afternoon off.

Lulu has some ulterior motives for whisking Charlie away on what becomes a weekend-long trip full of dangerous surprises. Still, he grows increasingly fond of her and tells her, “You’re a great girl. You’ve got some problems, but you’re a great girl.”

However, one of the problems he’s unaware of is her husband, Ray, a violent ex-convict she dumped while he was in prison. Ray, of course, wants her back and tells Charlie, “You’ve got to fight for a woman like this,” setting the stage for a battle of wits and fists.

The film boasts an excellent cast, with Jeff Daniels as Charlie and Melanie Griffith as Lulu. But Ray Liotta’s intense performance as Lulu’s husband gives the movie a real sense of danger and suspense that’s unusual in a comedy.

Also, the script, written by E. Max Frye, provides some wonderful laughs and has a lot of fun with putting respectable Charlie in embarrassing situations that make you want to cringe, burst out laughing or both.

“Something Wild” (1986), directed by Jonathan Demme. 113 minutes. Rated R.