Afternoon Delight

Afternoon Delight plays a bit like a Judd Apatow flick, from a female perspective. It's enjoyable, unexpectedly; after the first scene I sighed deeply expecting another film about about L.A. upper middle class problems. The film turned into something much more poignant.

Despite some automated plot clichés, the film plays earnestly and honestly, following a married couple as they struggle to keep the fire going in their relationship - not a plot I would have driven a mile to watch unfold. However the film is (mercifully) very funny, with a good eye for improv and dialogue, and it aims for the heart. For the most part it's on target - and it tackles some complicated grey-area issues that we all face in relationships.

Kathryn Hahn I'd seen (and hardly noticed) in Our Idiot Brother, but here she delivers an effective, multi dimensional performance.

A strong film, made better by the fact that I kind of stumbled upon it without previous expectations.

I found this title on a streaming service and, don't judge me, but I have to admit I was attracted initially by the title and low IMDb rating which promised something a bit cheap and steamy. When I saw however that it starred Katherine Hahn and was written and directed by Jill Soloway I realised it must actually be a pretty good film, and any steam would be a bonus. Soloway was one of the people behind the legendary Six Feet Under as well as Transparent (which incidentally I found patchier but still largely excellent) and this film won't disappoint viewers who loved the realistic dialogue and natural acting of those series. Familiar Soloway territory is explored, namely middle-class people wrangling with issues of sexuality, identity and class in Los Angeles. Hahn plays (superbly, with highly-strung aplomb) Rachel, a married woman having a mid-life crisis. Her nerdy husband buys her a lap dance at a club, which seems to ignite something in her, and later, while buying coffee downtown, she runs into the dancer, McKenna, played by a young and sexy Juno Temple. Rachel befriends McKenna, perhaps thinking some of her laid-back sexiness will rub off on her, and when McKenna gets thrown out of her home, Rachel invites her to stay temporarily in the family home. It turns out McKenna isn't exactly just a dancer and Rachel decides to spice up her non-existent sex life by accompanying her on a home visit to one of McKenna's regular clients. At this point however Rachel's true character comes to the fore as she decides she no longer wants anything to do with McKenna, who in turn also reverts to type during a boys' evening with Rachel's husband and his pals. Ultimately Rachel turns out to be a pretty awful, spoilt middle-class person who doesn't know what she wants and doesn't have a great deal of respect for the working class, so that by the end I was annoyed, not by the film but by her character (though clearly that was the intention). The film is definitely worth more than its current 5.2 IMDb rating (I've seen far more pretentious and tedious films get inexplicably higher scores on here) and also definitely worth investigating - and there is indeed some steam too, if that's what you're looking for.

This is an example of film I would never claim is great, but is certainly off the usual beaten (to death) path and therefore at is interesting at least.

The story is about a self-absorbed yuppie mother (Katherine Hahn) who tries to spice up her marriage by going to a strip club and then bringing home a lap dancer (Juno Temple) to be her nanny. I can imagine two movies immediately: it could be some late-night cable sexploitation thing where a hot woman discovers her inner stripper and lives happily (and sexily) ever after, OR it could be some half-assed feminist diatribe where two women from different social classes learn to relate to each other as they come to terms with the commodification of women by the patriarchy, yada, yada. Fortunately, this movie is neither. Instead it's kind of satirical black comedy about a not particularly sympathetic female character who in quest of some kind of sexual liberation makes a complete mess of her life, her new "friend's" life, and generally the lives of everyone around her.

It's also nice to find a movie about strippers that strikes a balance between pure exploitation and the kind "female empowerment" claptrap where Hollywood actresses take on "brave" role as strippers and sex workers, but strictly observe their iron-clad "no-nudity clauses" because that would somehow be giving in to "sexism". Both actresses bravely shed both their clothes and their need to ALWAYS maintain audience sympathy. Juno Temple's character is a proud "sex worker" who does what she does, not because she is either "exploited" or "empowered", but simply because it is a valid career choice. She's totally amoral--kind of like a sexy shark. Hahn's character is a self-loathing Jewish feminist who thinks she has less "hang-ups" than everyone around her when she probably has a lot more.

Hahn at times risks being completely unsympathetic, which may explain a lot of the negative reaction to this movie. It's really hard to dislike Juno Temple, but I think the fact that she's such a desirable little cutie who takes her clothes off in every other role sometimes overshadows what a talented actress she is. Yeah, she gets all the "nudie" roles her prudish American peers won't touch, but if you compare this to "Magic, Magic" to "Cracks" to the British "St. Trinian's" comedies she first appeared in, it's evident she has a lot more range and talent than she's given credit for. This movie is not a comedy masterpiece by any means, but it is certainly worth a look.

"If you think I can help you I promise you're not taking." Rachel (Hahn) is a stay-at-home mom who is bored with her life. In between her trips to her psychiatrist and helping with her son's preschool fund-raisers she is dealing with a non-existent sex life with her husband and repetitive routines everywhere else. One night, trying to spice things up, her and her husband go to a strip club where she meets McKenna (Temple) who she sees as a project and sets out to change her. This is a perfect example of a movie that is not done justice by its trailer. If you watch it you will expect a raunchy sex comedy. What this is a very personal and sometimes depressing movie about how a women goes to drastic measures to change her life. Kathryn Hahn is one of the funniest women actors today but this really shows that she is more then just a comedic force. The movie does have some funny moments in this but do not expect a laugh out loud comedy. This is a true dark dramedy about what a woman will do when she feels trapped. Overall, this is the definition of the saying "be careful what you wish for." A real surprise that I really liked and recommend. I give this an A-.

Stay at home mum and bored housewife Rachel (Kahryn Hayn) tired of kindergarten mom meet ups and help-the-homeless functions receives a boost to her non-existent sex drive when she's jokingly given a lap dance at a strip club courtesy of her workaholic husband Jeff (Josh Radnor). Curious to unravel more of her newly discovered eroticism she secretly revisits the strip bar only to "accidentally" bump into the young woman named Whitney (Juno Temple) who gave her the lap dance and they begin chatting. Many coffees later Rachel slowly becomes aware of Whitney's empowering hold of her own femininity and they soon become friends and, coupled with a cry for help with her own life, Rachel sees an opportunity to help Whitney break free of her inappropriate lifestyle by inviting her into her home and offering Whitney a small position as a live in nanny. When Whitney's OTHER job as a classy escort comes to light things begin to effect Rachel's moral compass and the already precarious family relationship.

Written and directed by Jill Soloway Afternoon Delight is essentially centered on one woman who is desperate for release emotionally, sexually and physically. Working on many levels, this film continually addresses the deep issues most married couples experience and has the ability to keep the mood upbeat and funny. While actually a reasonably good flick the difficulty in portraying the emotional elements onto screen made it hard to become engrossing. Good performances all round.