All Ladies Do It

call me crass, but i preferred the higher titillation factor of "Cheeky", another anally fixated comedy from tinto brass...

although "all ladies do it" has some witty moments (when compared to say, "cheeky"), they are destroyed by the hateful dubbing... i'm sure this movie has more appeal in its native language... next time someone transfers this to a boxed set, USE SUBTITLES! there are not enough genuinely erotic or explicit moments... it teases, to be sure, but the centerpiece of the movie is distinctly uninviting... a huge carnal disco on the outskirts of town, with enough freak factor to fuel the warhol factory... unfortunately, the synthesis of 80's dance music and bopping italians may make for some good laughs, but little excitement...

the story is virtually identical to "cheeky" and "monella"... the bored wife of an "uptight" man (in brass world, anyone who doesn't get excited by his wife cheating on him) is intrigued by all the sexual tension around her, and decides to live in a state of hedonism... she does maintain that she reserves her love for her husband, but it takes awhile for him to come around to the idea...

the main male character is horrible to watch... during the sex scenes, he grits his teeth, strains his neck muscles, and basically freaks out... not something you'd like to witness...

once again, brass uses all his trademarks... mirror shots, overheads of black and white corridors, seduction in the toilet, urination, plenty of derrière, and laughable philosophy... normally i would smile and accept his vision of an impossibly ripe world, but this movie somehow disappoints, even with low expectations... some crisp and bold colours though... tinto could make a fortune filming washing powder ads...

All Ladies Do It (1992)

** (out of 4)

Italian erotic film from the director of Caligula tells the story of Diana (Claudia Koll), a woman happily married to her husband (Paolo Lanza) for five years. Even though she loves him more than anything that doesn't take away her sexual desires for other men. The husband can't stand not being the only one but perhaps after time he'll learn that "all ladies do it". This is only my second film from Brass and his visual style is certainly on full display here even though his story telling skills aren't the greatest. I was shocked at how well the screenplay actually was because a lot of softcore efforts place the story second behind the sex but that really wasn't the case here. The message of a woman having the right to be "sexual" without being labeled "sluts" was taken very serious by the film. Brass does a very good job with the look of the film with some great cinematography and some wonderful set designs. The biggest issue I had with his direction is that the entire film comes off as a butt fetish video as Brass is constantly zooming in on women's behinds. I like a good butt as much as the next person but after a while it grows quite tiresome but the scene where the women decide to go skinny dipping is priceless. The performances aren't really anything special but they do the job and in the end God knows there's a lot worse out there than this.

I've seen most of Tinto's films and this one follows the same mold..... Wife cheating, but the husband should be understanding because she loves him. It's interesting that Tinto never has the husband respond with affairs of his own. If Pollo had told Diana it's fine we'll have an open marriage.... There are some sexy ladies at work who want my body... Would she be understanding? Claudia Koll handled her part well, but Pollo could have been better cast. Tinto's films are a step up from most soft-core.

Tinto Brass is usually referred to as either a misunderstood genius or a talentless hack. Cosi fan tutte ("All Ladies Do It") proves that he's neither one. When he doesn't take himself too seriously (which, unfortunately, he does quite often) the man is perfectly capable of creating fun, well-polished, strict entertainment. Cosi fan tutte certainly slips into the realm of pornography on occasion, but it has a sense of lightness and fun that breaks the ice and avoids real discomfort, and even, in some ways, a certain feminist sensibility (though the moral of the story shouldn't be taken as a very serious statement). It's a funny, sexy, beautifully shot erotic comedy that doesn't drag along too much and should be quite a lot of fun for open-minded couples to watch together.

I believe that this film is the best from all Tinto Brass' movies. It is funny and interesting, and, the most important, Claudia Coll is very good in that role. It is surprising to me that maestro Brass had never done anything better than this film. Most of his movies are boring, and even sex sceens don't help.