Looking In

Originally titled "Windows", this big-deal Paul Thomas feature for Vivid once again displays his directorial prowess, but hammers away quite redundantly at its theme of voyeurism. It's a "Twilight Zone" erotic episode, in which an ordinary seeming suburban neighborhood is obsessed with watching the neighbors (reciprocally) having sex.

Moving in unsuspectingly are our protagonists Savanna Samson (she is the Vivid contract star whose vehicle this is) and her ex-husband Dale DaBone, in hopes that their new environment will rekindle their failed relationship. Rekindling is a mild word or what happens to them, as immediately swinger neighbors Mickey G, Steven St. Croix, Ann Marie Rios and especially the voluptuous Taylor St. Claire recruit them to the peep and swap life style.

PT is a master of depicting Lifestyle Porn, and ranking up there with France's Claude Chabrol in his concentration on a certain swath of bourgeois people and how they behave. Because Dean Nash's script is so focused on the voyeurism, extremely well-executed visually by PT and his cameraman Mr. Jane Waters with an emphasis on framing in the title windows throughout, the final film veers dangerously toward the all-sex end of the Adult Cinema spectrum.

But it remains cinematic, looking like it was shot on 35mm, and exceptional in its occasional use of wide-angle (almost fish-eye) lenses and deep focus.

Credits are rather thorough in listing several extras, but oddly Dillon Day has a lengthy fantasy sex scene with Sam and goes unlisted, while several very minor sex scenes involving Rafe, Brittney Skye, Anton Michael and Honey Haven (one of them saved from the cutting room floor merely to run alongside the end credits crawl) earn the foursome screen mentions.

This is very possible the best adult film I have ever watched (and trust me I've watched more than a few!) Ms. Sampson is tremendous in her acting and her action; and Mr. DaBone playing her husband has great comic timing. Mr. Thomas, who began a wave of finely acted, outstandingly directed and intelligent adult movies, has surpassed even his "The Masseuse"! This is truly a wonderful "couple's" film and all involved should be proud of creating such a superior adult film. **My only caveat is the two early scenes which contain spitting...what a turn off, but don't let that put you off of the later scenes and play close attention to the players when they aren't in "action" scenes--they actually act!!