Aunt Hortense(in French dialect): "But the child is killed, it's dead, you know?" Lili (indefinable Euro dialect): "They'll wish I was. Their little school girl pact sent me to hell. I'll show them what I learned there..."
And so begins the saga that captivated millions of viewers in 1984. For this story of the poor little rich girl/porno queen/movie goddess had more charm, more style, and more suspense than anything ever seen before, or possibly since.. "Lace" also featured the most intoxicating and sweeping romantic situations, which stretched across no less than 5 countries, involving Arab Princes, French Champagne Barons, Shipping tycoons, and one vengeful Porno star turned legitimate actress. And this epic all begins with her, Lily, played by the outrageously exotic and sexy Phoebe Cates. Abandoned as a child, by a seemingly unfeeling mother, the young Elizebeth is cast into the cruel world and lands in a Hungarian work camp at the age of six, where she is mistreated and violated by soldiers, for 10 grueling years. Escaping at the age of 15, she flees to Paris, where she begins her descent into depravity, including back alley abortions, street prostitution, and finally ending up in pornographic cinema, all at the age of 16. Meanwhile her mother, who incidentally, could be any one of three amazingly successful and beautiful women, goes about her life believing that her child had been killed. Not true, as these three ladies are about to find out. And this is the most captivating element of this clever film: The viewer has no idea which one of these three is the mother of this vengeful wildcat, and we must wait until the end of this 4 hour epic to find out the truth. And as we find out at the same time as Lily, we really feel involved with these characters. Told effectively in flashbacks, we get to know each one of these fascinating women intimately. We are with them at their Swiss boarding school, where the scandal begins, and we follow them all on their separate paths of broken relationships, staggering romances, and jet setting around the world. Pagan, the sarcastic, raven haired English girl, who falls hard for Abdullah, the Prince of Sydon. And Maxine, the doll like French beauty, and her Champagne baron. And Judy, who is realizing her dream of seeing her New York fashion magazine, "Lace" become reality. And all the while, the life of the less fortunate Lily is also presented, in contrast to these womens seemingly easy and privileged lives. Lily's experiences have made her into a very hard and angry young woman, who fatefully decides to use her star power to bring each of these women to their knees. And there you have it. To say more might ruin the experience of "Lace." Now as cinema, "Lace" might not be considered a masterpiece compared the great classics. But as a piece of Escapism, this film absolutely cannot be rivaled. Women will most likely find themselves transfixed by the endless parade of haut couture fashions, clothes that are so classic and elegant that they would be right in style today. And the men will undoubtedly be drawn in by the collection of these strong and beautiful women. And the scenery is something to behold as well, from the Swiss Alps, to Ascot, to the wind blown deserts of the Middle East, to the glittering skyscrapers of Manhatten, not to mention the interiors of the most beautiful homes, hotel rooms, and castles, as well as exotic cars that are constantly on display. The budget for this production must have been staggering, for it makes Dynasty look absolutely anemic by comparison!
Compliment the goings on with a sweeping romantic score, and you have the ultimate trash novel come to blazing life on the screen. For the full impact of this one, it should be watched without commercial interruptions, so that the fantasy is not interrupted. I have a DVD box set, which includes the vastly inferior, and insulting "Lace II," and even when watched today, this has aged well. In the 80's perhaps this didn't really surprise people, as this level of decadence was presented often in this time, on television shows like Dynasty, and "Falcon Crest," but in present day, this unabashed show of opulence could almost be considered as politically incorrect, as the greed and status hunting lifestyles of the 80's is frowned upon today. But luckily, that specific time is immortalized in "Lace," an undeniable symbol of the 1980's.
