Identity

Perhaps the best feature directed by Dyanna Lauren, the well-titled "Identity" concerns an identity crisis in the life of porn star Julia Ann, not portraying herself but a reasonable facsimile. Dyanna appears uncredited as a porn director, likewise a takeoff on hers truly.

What emerges in surreal fashion is also a comment on the porn industry and lifestyle as well, avoiding cliches and giving some depth to what could have been just another routine Penthouse Video release. (Lauren later directed an example of just that for Penthouse, titled "Faster".

Julia is bored with her job and has to be coaxed to get out of bed and show up for the first scene to shoot, opposite Ryder Skye. After that lesbian sex excursion, she goes to a bar and has the usual pick-up line banter with Sean Michaels, ending up going home with him for some interracial sex.

He wakes her up next morning, complaining that she's been neglecting their kids by not fixing them breakfast as is her usual duty, perplexing Julia no end since she's not married to Sean, just having met him hours before.

I thought the "waking up from sleep" aspect of these early scenes was the key clue to what's going on, but that was just a clever red herring, as Julia plunges deeper into The Twilight Zone, soon losing her confidence that she's sane and everyone else is crazy. It's a favorite plot device of many a drama, whether in the "Gaslight" genre or the great puzzle mysteries like Jean Simmons in "So Long at the Fair".

Julia's earnest performance holds the story together, and the casting of an all-busty femme cast is a highlight. Lauren, with no script credit on screen at all, opts for a cryptic ending, but otherwise I was thoroughly entertained.