O Beijo do Corvo

An aging stripper (Tan'e McClure) comes into a $2 million inheritance and seizes the opportunity to leave the business and resume her previous "normal" life. What she finds is a reluctant ex-boyfriend who resents her tainted past and a young aspiring stripper on her way to Vegas. The interaction among these characters forms the bulk of the film, and it's mostly fascinating to watch. Some extended softcore sex scenes are thrown in for good measure, but they don't detract from the script's worthiness and the thoughtful direction. At times, the existentialist nature of the story and its presentation reminded me of a Bergman film, and the Death Valley locations are used to excellent effect, to convey the characters' inner turmoil (shades of Erich Von Stroheim's "Greed"). All around, an independent film I can strongly recommend.

This low-budget picture tries to be serious within the confines of an erotic soft-core feature. Tane McClure is a discontent stripper who in abundant voice-over ruminates on her inner turmoil. She has a love-hate relationship with an aging stud known only as Cowboy, and is also befriending a confused younger girl. Most of a film is shot at what looks like an abandoned motel, the desolate look matching the inner life of the characters. McClure initiates the girl into Sapphic love and the world of stripping but never finds happiness. Of course, the movie acknowledges it's intended audience and does offer plenty of scenes of the ladies in action at the Strip Club and between the sheets. For the pneumatic McClure, at least she given more to do than her usual decorative roles.

The intentions are really well meant, although even saying that might sound like an insult. Problem is, everything is off. If you set aside the fact, that you have a no budget movie here, you should also try not to think of bad framing, lighting, editing and the things that come with those. The script might have sounded kind of clever, but the way it is delivered, will leave you plenty of time to observe all those things that just don't fit.

There is nudity in this, but there are other movies out there that will meet your needs for that. The characters don't really have anything to say (and even if they have from time to time, it goes down the drain with the way it is portrayed by the people involved). There are some stabs at society (which made me give this more than 1 point, because I was kind of "rewarding" that), but you might not even care for those, because you have shut the movie off long before that (rightfully so)