The Client List

I must say that I found this movie highly amusing and entertaining. Americans are bound to criticise it but the concept of the story strikes at the heart of family life and when the chips are down and you are broke, a woman will do anything to feed her children and keep the family home. That is what Samantha does in the story line and full credit to her. the film is good in my opinion because it treats the subject in a light hearted way (a bit like Stepford Wives if you can imagine) and is an eye opener for us all, there is no bad language and actually no sex either, given the nature of the film. It is not a compelling film and of course it is a wee bit predictable but it should be seen and enjoyed.

Samantha Horton (Jennifer Love Hewitt) and Rex (Teddy Sears) are struggling facing foreclosure. Former beauty queen Samantha uses everything in her arsenal to keep afloat. Rex is a former star running back who can't even keep his construction job with his bum knee. Then she gets a job at a massage parlor in the next town, but she soon finds out that she could earn more if she does more.

It's a Lifetime movie of the week. It's not that I have any moral objection to the characters or the story. I just find it very boring. I guess some may find the subject matter titillating or controversial. It's not much of either. It just seems that the struggle for Samantha is mostly one of image. Maybe a short scene in the beginning showing the couple at the top of the world would be very helpful.

For the ultimate girls' night, rent the Lifetime movie The Client List starring one of the most beautiful women in Hollywood, Jennifer Love Hewitt. It was extremely successful during its initial airing and spawned a television spinoff (but with new characters and supporting cast members), and Jennifer was even nominated for a Golden Globe. It was very well-deserved - she did a lot more than just prance around in lingerie. Complete with a fantastic Texas accent, she shows frustration, desperation, disgust, self-loathing, fear, and sorrow. She doesn't usually take on roles like this, so it's really great to see her show her acting chops. Finally, she's more than just a pretty face.

But what a face! One wonderful thing about Jennifer Love Hewitt movies is you know she's always going to look beautiful. She'll be all dolled up in makeup and false eyelashes, show off her gorgeous, thick, wavy hair, and wear beautiful, figure-hugging clothes - unlike some beautiful women who continually grunge themselves up in their movies (Keira Knightley, I'm looking at you). So in The Client List, you'll see her parade in a series of low-cut summer dresses, and yes, also cute lingerie sets while she works at her "massage parlor".

Another refreshing aspect of this movie is the way it doesn't glamorize prostitution. Richard Gere is not one of Jennifer's clients. She services middle-aged, unattractive married men, and she hates every aspect of her job except the cash salary. There's nothing worse than Hollywood encouraging impressionable young girls to make the wrong choices, and this movie shows that Jennifer's last resort is a bad one. This is a cautionary tale, not a charming how-to guide of how to become Mrs. Wall Street. I would definitely recommend this movie to watch with a bunch of your girlfriends or sisters. It's fun, smart, and girly without being unrealistic.

There are a lot of very pretty faces out there that cannot act at all. It has been a while since I have seen Jennifer in anything. I was really glad to see that she can act a lot better that some of the other bigger box office cuties out there. The acting ability of some of those other hotties is insulting. I found this movie interesting in that Jennifer portrayed a girl who in desperation tried to do something to rescue her and her families situation without realizing the outcomes. Very human situation and she showed real sensitive emotions right from the beginning, wanting to run the other way being turned off by the whole idea and then being consumed buy desperation and greed as is a major story of what is really going on in this country. She played the part very well, so much so that I wanted to take time out and write this review. This is not easy subject matter and lots of people will be reviewing it personally rather than subjectively. The flick is not perfect, but think about how it would have been without Jennifer? She made the movie, and it really grabbed my attention with all the real emotion in the situation between her and her husband and having to try and start over in life. This is a typical real life story with a bit sticky subject matter. But Jennifer did a great acting job with it. For what it was it was well done!

Hewitt's character Sam makes passing nods to her "Christian Beliefs" whilst justifying her behavior as the only think she can do to help her family. Apparently in today's America helping your family means buying them stuff. Sam's love for her children barely extends beyond buying stuff for them which is probably where America is going wrong in the first place. Hewitt's performance center's around her unusual skills at satisfying her clients which apparently is the only thing her client's wives want to know in a later scene. Her husbands behavior is just as bizarre when he discovers what it is his wife is actually doing at her "Day Job". When did men start crying instead of doing what is more natural? The characters around Sam are just not that believable and even less so when Sam's mother says "it is partly my fault". When did a mother ever say that? The final punishment for Sam;s behavior and her redemption are both as ridiculous as the almost Disneyesque "Only for Mature viewers" plot line. if this is the 80's someone should pinch me so I can wake up. This has to have been written by someone who does not have a sex life.