An Inconvenient Mistress

Wicked Pictures treats Brad Armstrong features as if they were big-budget A pictures, often in 2-DVD release packages and running times exceeding 3 hours. But "An Inconvenient Mistress" is a little gem hiding within those trappings, providing the fun entertainment (in terms of plot and characters) of those Hollywood B pictures of the '40s or '50s.

Jessica Drake is inevitably cast in the title role, giving successful finance expert Ryan Driller a respite from his marriage to India Summer (who is saddled with an underwritten role and could easily have taken Drake's part had she been a contract star).

The story has its twists and turns but is intentionally predictable as Brad keeps things simple while doling out seven strong sex scenes. He takes the bad guy role as Ryan's ruthless and cool-as-a-cucumber boss. Insider trading is the subject matter and well-plotted even though for some mysterious reason, like many a Brad release in recent years, the screenplay credit is entirely missing.

Biggest flaw here involves the fate of Brad's character, shown in a big deal scene but making no sense in terms of the final outcome of the story. Sexy supporting cast including a beautifully styled Bridgette B. as Brad's dom of a wife and hot Cali Carter as Jess's sister are a treat. Very interesting NonSex casting has Julie Cambell as a government agent hot on the traders' trail: she is a dead ringer, without the sex appeal, for Drake adding some interesting overtones to the otherwise straightforward story.

For the record, the second disk in this 2-DVD set is a total shuck, providing exactly the same unimpressive material (Bonus excerpts from previous Wicked DVDs plus trailers) that is automatically included in a single-DVD release.