American Taboo

From the title and plot, one would expect an exploitative, soft core flick. One would be wrong. This is in fact a very sensitively made film about the developing relationship between a shy and emotionally-guarded photographer and a very attractive, though certainly not dizzy, teenage girl. The performances by the two leads are quite good, as is the scripting and direction. While apparently little known and not seen on TV, it's worth the effort to locate.

CONTENT NOTE: The film is rated R for nudity and sexual situations.

This is an "Academy-Award winning" film (it actually won a STUDENT Academy Award, which some might say is like winning a gold medal at the Special Olympics). The "taboo" here involves a shy thirty-year-old photographer's assistant having an affair with a girl in her late teens. This may very well have been an American taboo in 1984, but I watch a lot of 70's European exploitation flicks and this is a VERY common theme in those (except the guy is usually also the girl's stepfather, uncle, mother's boyfriend, best friend's father etc.)

As in the European films, the girl is none-too-believable as a teenager. The actress (Nichole Harrison) is unusually attractive and looks to actually be in her early twenties. She also has kind of a weird accent considering this is supposedly set in Oregon (French Canadian maybe?--she talks kind of like Genevieve Bujold). Her character is also a little implausible. She's generally the aggressor in the relationship--and when's the last time you saw an attractive teenage girl with seemingly no close girlfriends or boys her own age sniffing around? The guy (Jay Horenstein)is a little better, not a strong actor, but he looks right for the character. He's a handsome guy, but also quite believable as a socially inept loner. He's even kind of creepy looking(it's kind of a relief he's only having a statutory affair with an older teenage girl as opposed to molesting 8-year-old boys or something). His character seems somewhat similar to the guy Carl Boehm played in "Peeping Tom", but Horenstein is not a good enough actor to make his character as sympathetic as Boem did (nor is he nearly as interesting since he doesn't stab anyone in the throat with a tripod leg).

This isn't a bad film, but it's kind of leaden and serious (the European "lolita exploitation" films are a lot more fun). On the other hand it's not well-made enough to be able to take too seriously. As for the eroticism, well, Harrison has some nice nude scenes (and, believe me, men of all ages would probably want to take this "teenager" to bed). I actually think its title kind of works against it though. People drawn in by the salacious title will probably be disappointed by the rather tame content, and those seeking a more serious film will be turned-off by it seeming to be perverted exploitation. That's probably why it remains another of my obscure discoveries in the VHS graveyard (with no DVD release anywhere in site).

The Grace of Her Movement With each step, a dance of elegance, Her movements are pure, a captivating trance.

Graceful as a swan on a moonlit lake, Every motion a masterpiece she makes.

Her presence commands, a quiet power, Like a blossom in the early hour.

She moves with the rhythm of the stars, A dance that heals, a dance that scars.

The secrets of Her Eyes Her eyes, two stars in the midnight sky, Sparkle with secrets, soft and shy.

They hold a universe, vast and bright, Guiding lost hearts through the darkest night.

Her smile, a dawn breaking through the gloom, Fills every corner, every room.

With grace, she moves, a dance divine, A timeless beauty, ever so fine.

As others have said, if you're looking for "Alien Hookers on the Moon" you'll be mostly disappointed - at least until you discover that beautiful Nicole Harrison puts all of those plastic blonde alien bimbos to shame. However, if you're a fan of 1960s-70s French & Italian films, you'll appreciate this awkwardly-titled indy gem for the masterpiece that it is.

Director Lustgarten (really?) anticipates the 1990s themes of teen neighbor attraction (Crush, 1993) & date rape (The Liar's Club, 1994) with a layered character study of alienation & Nabokovian attraction. This is an arthouse movie, not a romp. So expect slow pans & long pauses on ocean waves, night skies and plant life. Yet, even with limited resources, the cinematography here is top notch, exponentially better than 95% of the "original content" you'll find on Netflix or Prime.

To previous reviewers who question the believability of a lonely young girl pursuing an older neighbor, I can only say that you, my friends, are the ones who are living in a false reality. Girls know *exactly* what they're doing.

Paul is a 30 something who works as a photographer's assistant, and seems introverted. When we see his place, he lives like a slob. He gets a fixation on a young neighbor, and in some ways she leads him on. But she is underage, and he should know better. The movie I saw suggests it being very low budget, and the copy shows the passage of time, meaning it isn't in the best condition. It is very slow paced, and in many places quite boring. He takes her to where he works, and while he is developing film, she takes advantage of the make up and costume room, and turns into quite a siren. And that has the desired effect. Later we find he has a daughter, and when she asks about her, he says he was 17 and she was 15, and abortions couldn't be obtained, which causes her to cry. A rather heartless remark by him showing how he considers women. It is hard to care about the Paul character and one can be concerned about how Lisa will go on in life.