Demi Stripped Of Hard Edge Moore Shows Her Humane Side As Stripper/Mother

When it comes to clothing, less is Moore. Demi Moore.

That’s part of the problem with the intriguing, not-quite-right “Striptease.” It’s supposed to be a comedy about a gutsy woman and a bunch of scuzzy creeps, set against the backdrop of a custody battle and a strip club. Instead, it’s become a movie about stripping (Moore doffs her duds five times) and a custody battle.

It’s Moore’s best, most humane performance. Moore usually comes off as brittle and calculating, but she’s a stripper/mother here, and her scenes with her real-life daughter, Rumer Willis (an unusual-looking child and a natural actress) are sweet. As Moore struggles to earn enough money to win custody from her lowlife ex-husband, she has a vulnerability we haven’t seen since “Ghost.”

The mother/daughter scenes are the best thing in “Striptease,” but they’re also the worst, because they throw this sleazy cartoon off-balance. These scenes have obviously been crafted to give Moore some emotional moments to play, but they don’t fit into the cheesy/raucous/ horny context of the movie.

Many incidents from Carl Hiaasen’s hilarious novel have been faithfully re-created, but - except for Robert Patrick and Siobhan Fallon’s gleefully trashy performances as Moore’s ex-hubby and sister-in-law - “Striptease” never finds the right tone.

This is especially true of Burt Reynolds’ performance as a boozed-up, randy senator who takes a liking to Moore. Reynolds is funny early on, but the character is an uncomfortable reminder of some of the classless moments in Reynolds’ recent past, and his relentless ickiness grows tiresome. By the end, every time you see a frame of film with Reynolds in it, you want to turn to the projectionist and shout, “Take it off! Take it all off!”

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: “Striptease” Locations: North Division, East Sprague and Coeur d’Alene cinemas Credits: Directed by Andrew Bergman; starring Demi Moore, Burt Reynolds, Ving Rhames and Armand Assante Running time: 1:45 Rating: R