Novel Desires

Not SO bad for what it is. You have to have realistic expectations for this sort of film. And actually the plot (yes, it has one) is relatively imaginative for this sort of work. The acting is universally bad, though. And it may be difficult to act convincingly working with such material. Some of the actresses were very pretty, though, and let's face it; that's why they made the movie, and that's why we (on occasion) watch it. On this note, special mention to Caroline Monteith, Gina Jourard, and Monica Akesson. Cheryl Bogdanovich had no nude or even remotely racy scene in the entire film. What's up with that? It's really fairly average overall, for soft-core cable fare.

A stilted male writer, Brian, is paired with a more carefree female associate to try to improve their stories. Meanwhile, he allows a sexy girl-friend to go away frustrated, and he shyly slides through other opportunities for relationships. Two major subplots arise: Brian's career path and his social life.

At work, Brian and his new associate argue about various plot lines, including some nicely depicted sexual encounters. Brian wants to focus more on plot and character development, while his associate prefers to highlight relational interactions, such as the sexual escapades for which we watch these soft porn vehicles.

The women are lovely, but the acting corps is not very convincing. Part of the fault may lie in the writing and direction, as the plot is weak and sometimes suffers in transition. And poor Brian! We can't really believe that he is that clueless. His social reticence frustrates us viewers, and we want to jump in and help him!

Story: 3/10. Sex 5/10. Watch for the skin, not for great acting and writing.