A Spanking in Paradise

Justin, a human rights lawyer takes a trip north of the border to visit with family before he moves out to the United States. As it turns out, his uncle runs a brothel (sauna) and while waiting on his Visa being processed he finds himself involved in a life that his mother moved to England to keep him away from. I had seen postings for this movie for a while but had never gotten around to it. Now i'm wondering what took me so long. There are not many movies at the moment that actually make me laugh out loud but this one did. Some funny anecdotes and some very funny visual moments lightened what could have been a very dark movie. Unfortunately i was left wanting more. Nice one.

Thought this film had a great title and the premise was pretty intriguing, so went to see it at the cinema last night at midnight. I was worried I wouldn't stay awake, but it kept me laughing all the way through. I like British comedy, though this was different as a bit more gritty. It felt like a pretty realistic, and therefore at times slightly depressing portrayal of what being a hooker is like, but the majority of the film doesn't focus on this, and is funny and occasionally slapstick. Every now and then it serves up a complete curve ball, and has you laughing out loud. All in all I enjoyed it and would recommend it.

This film was a total surprise for me. I didn't see how you could make a comedy set in a whorehouse funny due to the subject matter, but it worked and what I liked about this film, was that it felt quite raw and realistic. I think I was expecting it to be like a Meet the Parents gag after gag film but instead it felt like a snapshot of something that could have happened. Rather than be a 'film', it almost felt like a rough and ready documentary of someone's reality. One minute quite serious and heavy, the next ridiculously comical the way I suppose real life is. For instance, the uncle telling vivid stories of his exploits, and his nephew Justin just innocently trying to get by, but kind of putting his foot in it the whole time because of his naivety. What I also liked was it didn't pretend being a hooker was any sort of picnic. I didn't realize in Scotland, I suppose like Las Vegas, the whorehouses are legal to keep the women safe. Anyway, definitely 8 out of ten and worth a watch.

Really enjoyed this movie. Why bother to write a review? - because also watched Chatroom (2010) movie in same session which was shockingly rubbish - 10% on rotten tomatoes - didn't know could be rated that low!! Important when film-makers get it right especially with restricted budget that they are recognised. I heard of Spanking in Paradise from article in a magazine interviewing the director. Can see where the authenticity comes from! Don't expect big special effects, explosions etc - its all in the dialogue and characters who are all quirky and funny. It won two awards in Edinburgh Film Festival and was named on the best of the festival list. Not quite new Trainspotting as some enthusiastic critics have said but very very good.

This film reminded me of Shameless, one of my favorite TV shows right now. My favorite part of this film was probably the opening scene... makes you realize how ridiculous the questions on an immigration form must be for people coming into our beloved country, the US of A, really made me laugh... anyway, very funny film, lots of hot chicks and good acting.

The uncle Rab is a bit like Frank Gallager, but tells funny stories rather than just simply ranting about injustices, and the Justin character is almost like Fiona, trying to make his way through the crazy world his uncle has created. A wild ride to watch!