Las orgías inconfesables de Emmanuelle

THE INCONFESSABLE ORGIES OF EMMANUELLE sees notorious Spanish director Jess Franco attempt his one and only version of the story, although word has it that this was a film featuring a different character altogether and one merely renamed to cash in on the success of the long-running series. Certainly ORGIES has little to differentiate it from any other kind of softcore snoozer from the era.

There are a few attempts at characterisation here and there, and a look into the mindset of a snooty aristocrat, but basically this is wall to wall sex. There's a lesbian show at a private club that goes on for about twenty minutes and pushes the boundaries of explicitness and decency, and lots of disrobing and thrusting buttocks. No orgies, though; that particular bit of the title is a misnomer.

The cast are undistinguished but certainly enthusiastic in the bedroom stakes, and Franco regular Antonio Mayans makes an appearance. As ever, the director's style includes lots of zooms and the like, and your enjoyment of that will vary. Me, I found my mind wandering as I checked out the whitewashed architecture and the set design, waiting for the semblance of a plot to arrive that never did.

Jesús Franco's "Las orgías inconfesables de Emmanuelle" is a softcore erotic adventure that follows the titular Emmanuelle (Muriel Montossé) as she embarks on a series of sexual escapades that push the boundaries of pleasure and sin. The film is an unapologetic celebration of female sexuality and freedom, set against the exotic backdrops of Brazil and Hong Kong.

Montossé embodies the role of Emmanuelle with a confident sensuality, her blue eyes sparkling with mischief and her blonde hair flowing like liquid gold. She is a fearless explorer, navigating her desires with an insatiable curiosity that knows no bounds. One particularly memorable scene finds Emmanuelle in a steamy encounter with a mysterious Asian lover, their bodies entwined in a passionate dance that culminates in an explosive release against the vibrant neon lights of Hong Kong. Montossé's performance in this scene is a standout, her expressions of pleasure both explicit and artful, a true testament to her talent for erotic acting.

The film, however, struggles to find a balance between its eroticism and its narrative structure. The plot, though present, often feels like an afterthought, with many scenes serving little purpose beyond showcasing the next sexual encounter. The acting, aside from Montossé's performance, is largely forgettable, with most of the cast delivering wooden and unconvincing lines. The dialogue itself is often cringe-worthy, filled with over-the-top innuendos and awkward attempts at philosophical musings on sexuality and freedom.

Technically, the film also falls short. The cinematography is lackluster, with many scenes appearing dark and murky, failing to capture the beauty of the exotic locations. The editing is choppy, with abrupt transitions that disrupt the flow of the narrative. The sound design is equally disappointing, with uneven volume levels and a jarring mix of music and sound effects.

Despite its shortcomings, "Las orgías inconfesables de Emmanuelle" does offer some redeeming qualities. The erotic scenes, though abundant, are tastefully executed, with an emphasis on sensuality and female pleasure. Franco's direction shines in these moments, capturing the essence of desire and passion with a certain level of artistry. The film also attempts to explore themes of female empowerment and sexual freedom, albeit in a somewhat clumsy manner.

In conclusion, "Las orgías inconfesables de Emmanuelle" is a mixed bag. While it offers some steamy and explicit scenes that will no doubt satisfy fans of the erotic genre, it falls short in terms of storytelling and technical execution. For Muriel Montossé's captivating performance and a few well-crafted erotic sequences.

Inconfessable Orgies of Emmanuelle, The (1982)

** (out of 4)

Jess Franco takes a stab at the Emmanuelle series, although this ends up having more in common with his de Sade/Eugenie films. There's not much plot but in the film Emmanuelle has just been married and prepares to settle down her sexual ways and stay with one man. However, she gets drunk and gets involved in a lesbian sex show, which freaks her husband out and soon she's back to her old ways. You could argue that outside the WIP genre, Franco has never really created anything of his own and he usually just takes something popular and puts his own spin on it. This originally wasn't suppose to be an Emmanuelle film and that name was just added in the post-dubbing but either way this film is a lot more successful than the recent, real Emmanuelle films I watched from Joe D'Amato. The big difference between Franco's film and those of D'Amato is the fact that Franco really knows how to photograph beautiful women and make them very erotic. There's a fifteen-minute lesbian show here, which certainly works overtime on the erotic nature and star Vicky Adams is a really beautiful woman and Franco captures this perfectly. There's also a very funny sequence at the start of the film when Emmanuelle and her husband walk through a wax museum and get sexually turned on by Humphrey Bogart!! However, the film runs out a steam fairly quickly as there's never any sort of plot going on but just various sex scenes throughout the 85+ minute running time. AKA Emmanuelle Exposed.

This is not a great Franco film nor even a great sex film but it is still likable enough. Fantastic settings and enough 'action' to keep most happy. We don't really get an orgy, merely two couples in adjacent areas peeping at each other. In fact this final scene is probably the film's worst. For some reason both couples are placed in incredibly uncomfortable positions which they struggle to get out of and the desired 'peeping' looks more as if they are not approving of one another. There are some very good scenes, however, and the ironic and completely over the top narrative from the 'noble Spaniard' really is funny. He tells us it is useful to have a woman so there is someone to jerk off the servants and that he prefers his dog because at least he is a thoroughbred! The young female visitor is also raped by a couple of native Spaniards because 'that's what they come here for'. So not your everyday soft core but Franco fans will know what to expect

In a film with this kind of title, directed by Jess Franco, it's no surprise that not ten minutes have gone by before the two main characters are enjoying each other's company intimately. Emmanuelle and her husband Andreus have chosen a curiously unfrequented wax museum to indulge in some brief sex. Franco regular Antonio Mayans, billed here as Robert Foster plays hubby.

Of all the many females to have adorned Jess Franco's productions, Muriel Montossé is the one I find the most titillating. That's a purely personal view of course, but apart from her stunning looks and shape, she is also a very good actress, really capable of selling the allure of the two - surprisingly similar - main characters she has played for Franco. In fact, the similarities between this film (which contains no orgies, by the way - the title is typically provocative more than it is accurate) and the following year's 'Cecilia' are palpable. In both productions, the two actors play an equally fractious couple who find their rocky relationship fuelled by their peccadillos.

Here, we have rugged Tony Skios playing Marqués who the film is eager to show us from the opening voiceover onwards, is an absolute swine. His sharp-dressed swagger and smouldering looks paint him as a very laconic rotter, except other than proving to be less sexually impressive than he believes himself to be, he proves to be as much of a cypher as the other characters. The plot peters out into a flurry of thankfully non-invasive sex scenes, all accompanied by briskly plucked flamenco guitar music. No need to worry about missing any vital parts of the storyline because there aren't any - but then, any aficionado of Franco would be familiar with this approach. By the end, it is unclear whether the viewer has lost interest in the film, or Franco himself; it does seem very slapdash in its final act.

Muriel Montossé has escaped the fate of some of Jess's performers and enjoyed a prolific career, and she certainly gives Emmanuelle more overt sexuality and character than we might otherwise have got, but despite the lip-smacking locations, there's not a huge amount to get excited about here. My score is 5 out of 10.