A Perfect Ending

While I cannot completely follow some enthusiastic reviews here, I have to admit that I am intrigued how this little movie seduces its audience, despite a small budget (175k is really very small), and despite a story that may not go very well for everyone, because it is some kind of 'Denver Clan 2012' ;-)

But, intriguing enough, we follow easily the introduction, where a woman in her fifties, called Rebecca, wealthy, with three grown-up children and a husband nobody can love, tells her friends that she never climaxed and has mostly forgotten everything about sex. And her friends, two lesbians (of course ?) persuade her to try a service that provides - a prostitute who can help her to finally climax (of course again ?). Now, this seems a bigger bit far-fetched, but it is delivered believable enough not to stand up and run away.

After that, when it comes to an appointment, everything goes wrong for Rebecca, although or even because the rented hooker is young and extremely beautiful and also skilled in the art of seduction. Rebecca is afraid of her own boldness and declines any interaction. But, we know it, it is the tentative beginning of a love story, and this love story isn't a common one.

Now many things are going on there and we learn that this is not a movie from Francois Truffaut or R.W. Fassbinder. And it isn't a movie about the troubles of homosexuality for an elderly woman. These aspects are completely and thankfully left out.

Instead, it is a movie about overcoming a common fate of women, about how your life has been passed by and you miss something real important for a sudden. This fate is of course not limited only to wealthy women, but the movie is located in a wealthy social class, and therefore it looks soapy in some of it's family-related side stories. But on the other hand, there is a distinct feeling for real emotional struggle.

Here comes the main actor in, Barbara Niven, who has the courage to play a woman on the edge of a wasted life, to show herself naked, together with a 30 years younger beauty (Niven is born 1953). And she never fails, you will be surprised, not only how good she looks, but how authentic she is.

The beautiful hooker in turn, played by Jessica Clark, places an attitude like Maggie Q in 'Nikita', when it comes to dialog, and that is sometimes too overused. She seems always slightly unreal, like being not really from this world, even while she is suffering from things happened in her past. I wonder if Director Nicole Conn intended that. And I wonder how Jessica Clark is in private.

Cinematically, the movie is solid modern upper B-grade with some nice ideas to break the narrative continuity for watchers who need a bit more than the standard menu. It looks always good and bright, and focuses wisely on every Detail of Barbara Niven's artful play.

While a hardcore lesbian will spit on this movie because it's too beautiful and calm, someone who wants to follow a butterfly eventually starting to use it's wings (as implied at the end), will be fully satisfied. 8 stars out of sheer earned sympathy.

This film is a sheer delight! Brilliant in it's capacity to draw you into the journey of the story as it unfolds. It is a film with so many messages any woman ( or man) need to explore and assess if they are being and experiencing all they were made for. Or, are they being who they are expected to be and missing true passion and wholeness. Barbara Niven is at her best as the lead in this film and portrays "Rebecca" in such a multi-dimensional way that you are emotionally right there with her as her life is transforming. The chemistry between her and her co-star, Jessica Clark ("Paris") is rich and moving. Soul Kiss Films has delivered a film worthy of the "big screen" everywhere!

I anxiously awaited this movie's release on DVD as those who had seen it at Sundance gave it such good to great reviews. Unfortunately, however, after having seen it for myself now, I do not share the earlier reviewers' glowing opinions. The premise of the movie is really good and I could tell it could have been a very good movie. I felt it took too many "meetings" before the main character stopped running out and the awkwardness to fade. Both main actresses are attractive and are suited to their characters, but the escort seemed to be trying too hard to be mysterious and alluring. First,her lower voice and slow speaking cadence was sexy and intriguing, but then you notice she speaks that way through the entire movie. It rendered the "sexy" a little "unsexy" and kind of annoying after a while. You don't see enough of the two women together to understand the 'relationship' that supposedly develops between them. I was left feeling like too much of the story must have been left on the editing room floor and was replaced by the film-maker's attempt at artsy and meaningful up-close vignettes of inanimate objects or a characters struggles. I am disappointed in this movie. I had such high hopes.

First off let me start by saying that I am not a writer, so please forgive my poor attempt at a review. As I patiently sat waiting for the screening of A Perfect Ending, I thought to myself, this is going to be a great movie. I did not expect to see a movie that would awaken all of my emotions and touch my soul. Nicole Conn takes you on an emotional journey that makes you laugh, cry and want to jump up applaud and scream YES!!!! Barbara Niven and Jessica Clark were perfectly cast for this movie. Their chemistry on camera is off the charts, blond and beautiful and dark and exotic. Nicole Conn and Marina Rice-Bader hit the nail on the head when they picked these two women for their lead roles. This film is a must see for both women and men, so if you have a chance to see it at a festival near you please attend and let your soul be nourished.

Imagine you had a less than perfect sex life (go on, try)… in fact imagine you were living a life that felt completely devoid of passion. Now imagine you had some concerned friends who wanted to find a way to help – and did so by setting you up with a totally gorgeous, sexy, intelligent, young… hooker.

What feelings might it provoke in you? Fear, horror, excitement, anxiety, shame, desire… would it give you a buzz – and would you go through with it? It's an extraordinary and intriguing question.. and it's the central theme in the new movie from writer and Director Nicole Conn. Has that piqued your interest….? It certainly did mine… and I can guarantee when you watch, it's a question that's going to get you all worked up.

Rebecca is a middle aged, wealthy, but utterly repressed and depressed housewife (played outstandingly by actress Barbara Niven), who is dedicated to her coldly bombastic husband (the excellent John Heard) and her three now grown children. And she has a secret. Or maybe more than one. During a frank discussion with two close friends, she reveals something that they are horrified to hear about her sex life – and they are determined to help her resolve. They perceive that Rebecca's dilemma may be as a result of her straight and straightened relationship with her husband, so they decide to engage the personal services of a high class prostitute, reasoning that another female "is so much more familiar with the manual" and will be able to offer her some… release...

Filled with trepidation but at the same time compelled, Rebecca agrees and turns up at the appointed time in a luxury hotel room to meet her… date. And so we are introduced to the delectable and sultry Paris (played superbly by British actress and model Jessica Clark in her first feature) who knocks on the door at the appointed time to meet her new customer. But though Paris would seem to have the looks and charm to melt even the frostiest of "clients", she hasn't reckoned with the more than just tight lipped, Rebecca.

As the two dance around each other, their stories are revealed, told with humour and pathos, with honesty and compassion. A Perfect Ending is multi-layered and addresses significant and pervasive issues that seriously affect the lives of millions of women – it manages to be both hugely entertaining and thought provoking at the same time. And it's HOT. The leads have fantastic chemistry and the sex scenes, which are intimately revealing, require a level of brave vulnerability that most of us could never even consider, but which are an essential element in showcasing the beauty of imperfection, the poignant antithesis of the movie's title.

Aside from the magnificently elegant performances of Niven and Clark, there are also some superb cameo roles, particularly from Morgan Fairchild as the tough and edgily funny Madam – with a peculiar obsession with Barbie dolls (the ones formed in plastic ) that she dresses up to resemble the characters of her "girls". Oh and the older, hardened hooker played with such wonderfully bitter but proud sarcasm by Rebecca Staab, who can't resist biting back when Rebecca rejects her with a judgemental driven tongue lashing… and then there's the funny, funny, funny British actress Mary Wells, who plays one of Rebecca's lesbian friends (we should all have one) with the Hollywood Madam in her contact list.

It's a story of many twists and turns that will surprise you as the plot unfolds – and it so cleverly explores, both metaphorically and in starkly frank big screen physical presence, the issues that so unnecessarily blight our lives and often prevent us from fulfilling our potential and finding the pleasure that all of us deserve. I was privileged to watch the world premier of this movie at the Castro Theatre in San Francisco along with an audience of over 1400 whose appreciation was loudly and enthusiastically expressed throughout the film. If their – and my – reaction is anything to go by, it will make you laugh out loud, it might make you weep – and it will almost certainly make you think about it well after the movie itself has perfectly ended.

You can catch it at a number of festivals across the States, including LA, Philadelphia, Tampa and Atlantic City in the next month, for more details of which, please visit the Soul Kiss Films website or check out their face-book page. You can also check out the Wolfe website and book mark it for news of the DVD release dates.

You really should do so, I couldn't recommend it more highly.