The Escort

A romantic comedy about an Escort and a Journalist. Luckily it's not attempting to be a new 'Pretty Woman', instead its just a pleasant romantic comedy about two people searching for love. It won't win any awards, but it was worth seeing.

I'll keep this short; 'The Escort' has covered most of a touching movie. Bouncing between the edges of morality, love, humour and drama you'll find a chemical reaction between two well played characters both struggling with their shadow sides of life.

Both Fonseca and Doneger performing par excellence and in contrast to the sufficient (sometimes close to over-)acting by Campbell and other co-stars.

The story itself is a contemporary version of existing grandeurs like 'Pretty Woman' and 'Indecent proposal'. If there is anything negative to mention it is the lacking depth and meagre storyline.

Not a rough diamond but certainly a polished ruby, well worth viewing.

I hope that talking about sex doesn't bother you, otherwise you won't be able to appreciate this comedy.

It's a love story spiced with some very good characters. Lindsy Fonseca is pretty (as she was in Kick-Ass) and Michael Doneger plays the part very well: he also wrote the script (together with Brandon A. Cohen), which is an always noteworthy something.

The story flows fluidly until its natural end and effortlessly keeps your attention high. It deals with talented (and good looking) young people living unusual and interesting lives. And the result is entertaining.

The above synopsis (that written on this Amazon page, next to the film title) is all wrong. So I will attempt to write my own.

The Escort is a sincerely honest film following the life of a young, female escort (Natalie) who feels 'forced' into the profession because of a past experience. When she catches the attention of a young unemployed 'journalist' (Mich), who is also a sex addict, she finds herself questioning her lifestyle. I'm kidding, they actually happen to have a lot of common ground- who'd have thought? So there is no judgement of one another, and they devise an agreement to help one another: Natalie agrees to be the subject of a controversial journalism project, that may just win Mich the career of his dreams. And, Mich agrees to serve as Natalie's protection and security (against reckless, violent clients), per Natalie's request. They hit it off, as friends, getting to know one another. But then, they become more....but are either of them ready for that? Natalie pursues a sex-filled life because it's all she can do. For Mich, it's all he wants to do.

This film is very mature, but surprisingly there is no nudity. And the acting and casting choices were commendable. It really worked. I would say there definitely was comedy in this, but it wasn't very strong. The only comedy I appreciated was how Mich's family and friends reacted to the revelation of him being a sex addict. What I didn't appreciate was having a twelve-year-old curse and utter such profanities -this is not comedy. Having to resort to this, to get a laugh from the audience is cheap and crass. I would say this film is more of the drama genre.

The only other thing I didn't like was how Mich had no respect for women, he used them for sex and then, dismissed them easily. This was expected of course, (for a sex addict), but I didn't like it.

It was strangely refreshing to find that this was not a film where love forcefully changes you. Instead they made the choice to change their lifestyles for love, there was no obligation to do so: it was based on opportunity. This means that Mich was not her 'saviour', she was an independent but lonely woman. She didn't need him, she wanted him. If that's not love, I don't know what is.

Likewise, it was also refreshing to find that Natalie was not brought into the 'escort' business because of a poor upbringing, 'that it was all she ever knew'. It wasn't that at all, she was actually Stanford -educated. Such controversy.

In the end of my childhood I have seen Pretty Woman a few times. Later in my twenties I have watched the movie again. And then you realize this movie is not so romantic anymore. It's just a lucky (beautiful) prostitute that gets an (attractive) rich guy. That movie is told like a beautiful fairy tale with a happy end.

This movie comes much closer to reality. The main story line of the movie is predictable, but there are enough enjoyable moments to like this movie. Also the chemistry between the main characters makes it fun to watch.

The motivation of the main characters makes the story believable and you can empathize with them; cyberbullying, loneliness, self esteem, money problems, family issues, addictions, rejection and of course the 'is love real' question.

So Yes, it's not a 'Pretty Woman' fairy tale and NO it's also not based on a true story, it's something in between and that makes is worth the effort to watch.