User reviews

IMDb readers of the present and future may well look at the low rating --2 -- and think that this reviewer is perhaps being harsh...? However, in fairness, I will note that, if you take the time to research the IMDb reviews of other productions where Jared Cohn has acted as both writer and director, you will discover even lower ratings than that number associated with his work.

The story deals with the "older" daughter of a successful businessman who gets involved with a sexual partner who attempts to bring out aspects of her sexuality (BDSM) with which she, presumably, was not already familiar.

Brought to you by the same team that gave you BIKINI SPRING BREAK (among others) and starring the irrepressible Daniel Baldwin (whom, one reviewer noted, seemed to be reading his lines off cue cards he had never seen before), the most interesting thing about the film is the casting of Charisma Carpenter in the lead.

For those visiting from another planet, TV is the 90s was dominated by the emergence of a young auteur named Joss Whedon (yes, the same Joss Whedon who gave new life to the Marvel library in his Avengers I script).

Whedon, by the end of that decade, had not one but two breakout hits on his hands, each handled by a different network -- (Buffy and Angel)-- and each prominently featured Capenter.

In other words, you could not miss her even if you wanted to. And no one wanted to. She was perky, fun, gorgeous, and memorable.

The prevailing view is that Carpenter's career since those days has been somewhat problematic, and an argument can be made that this effort is yet another attempt to recapture her glory days and reconnect with former fans.

As for the production itself, it features the standard levels of quality that Cohn and his company, Asylum, are known for -- perfectly lit sets starring exceptionally good looking people in static (low movement) environments with lots of head and shoulders framing.

Where the director wants the audience to really "get" that something important is happening on-screen, he will attempt to do this via a change in the lighting, as opposed to the more traditional ways (such as through the dialog or the acting).

That technique, in real life, is just as effective as it sounds.

Really and truly, for Carpenter fans only.

OMG ehat a waste of time and money and effort and you name it. The production value was amazingly enough quite high, but that is this films only redeeming feature.....otherwise, dont get tied up in front of this one or you'll be bored to death.

This is a lame attempt to make a low budget 50 shades of Grey.But all it does, is remind you of those god awful movies,those so called erotic thrillers, that came in the wake of basic instinct's success, but was really just glorified softcore porn.

But the difference is those were made with younger former scream queens,B-C movie actresses who weren't afraid to go full frontal. Something charisma doesn't seem willing to do. Which would be fine,if she didn't accept scripts that would need full frontal for her role to work,or at get some attention. The producers seem to hope that Charismas tits are gonna save this movie,which they can't. the script is to boring and her character uninteresting.

Who ever directed this should be shot,or go back to film school.When Charisma undresses,they focus on her face.And I mean REALLY focus on her face.

They zoom so close you can see the wrinkles around the eyes. The story is lame and Charisma can't manage to show an emotion to anything that happens around here. Sadly her face seem to only have 2 expression, pleasure and anger.Those are the only two emotions she manage to express fully,with her face.

I'm pretty sure her phone hasn't been ringing off the hook since she left Buffy and Angel,but this is just sad.

Couldn't take this seriously. Terrible acting and cheap and tacky everything else.

There are two reasons people might see this film.

1.They are longtime fans of Charisma Carpenter. 2.They want some softcore porn.

Chances are a lot of them are looking for both.

This is nothing more than a cheaply made direct to video rip off of "50 Shades of Grey", what is known as a "Mockbuster" where producers rip off the plot and characters from a successful film and create a cheap fast version to profit from.

Besides being terribly written, directed and acted, it's a sad fact that age 45 (at the time of filming) Ms. Carpenter's sexual wiles are not exactly holding up.

The result is a middle aged woman trying to play the young sexpot, and it's somewhat uncomfortable to watch.

I'm not sure what kind of age they were attempting to make her character, but since Daniel Baldwin plays her father and is only 10 years older than her in real life, that added an additional pathetic element to the whole debacle.

If you want to see Charisma Carpenter topless, do a google image search and save yourself from enduring this dreck.

Nothing wrong jumping on the Fifty Shades bdsm train / genre. This tried to put a different slant on it with role reversal but didn't work: bad story, cliched script, actors going through the motions (not the sex part as there aren't enough to satisfy anyone). Sadly not a career high for Buffy's Cordelia. If you want a well made alternative try The Ages of Lulu.

I hate Charisma Carpenter, and I certainly wasn't looking for softcore porn. I watch this movie simply to see if I would find it good; because you can't know if a movie is good until you watch it, genius.

"Bound," a cinematic opus of multifarious intricacies, dauntlessly embarks upon a journey through the uncharted terrains of desire, self-actualization, and metamorphosis. This celluloid magnum opus unfurls its cinematic tapestry as an undeniably exalted exemplar of erudite artistry, eschewing the pedestrian in favor of a synesthetic symphony that resonates with a symphonic profundity, submerging the discerning audience within its multidimensional embrace.

At the apical crux of this cinematic opulence lies the consummate virtuosity of Charisma Carpenter, whose portrayal of Michelle Mulan stands as an entrancing testament to the zenith of histrionic prowess. Carpenter, the master weaver of emotions, casts her spellbinding interpretation with the precision of a poet's quill, crafting a resonant narrative that pulsates with both vulnerability and steely resolve. The emotive cadence of Michelle's transformative odyssey, where the chrysalis of self-doubt shatters to reveal the resplendent wings of self-empowerment, is unfurled with an exquisite panache that serves as a contemporary elegy to the allegorical narratives of yore. Carpenter's thespian authority resonates as an oracle, deciphering the labyrinthine contours of Michelle's character with an astuteness akin to the prophets of antiquity, enshrining the performance as an opulent monument within the pantheon of cinematic virtuosity.

Bryce Draper, as the charismatic enigma Ryan Black, constitutes a mesmerizing aurora, transfixing the audience through the magnetic allure of his portrayal. Draper's rendition is reminiscent of a chiaroscuro reverie, where vulnerability and inscrutability coalesce, conjuring an intoxicating mélange that ensnares the senses in a web of beguiling mystique. His eyes, cerulean orbs akin to the fathomless abyss, serve as the conduit through which the viewer plunges into the depths of human desire, bearing echoes of the ancient sirens whose calls reverberated through the annals of mythology. Draper's evocative resonance unfolds as a Homeric odyssey, wherein vulnerability evolves into resolute verve, and the crescendo of yearning metamorphoses into a passionate symphony. His portrayal, akin to an alchemical synthesis of emotive intricacies, etches an indelible diorama of the human condition onto the celluloid canvas, bridging the chasm between the corporeal and the transcendent.

Jared Cohn, the cinematic auteur whose deft directorial baton orchestrates the opulent spectacle, commands the visual narrative with a panache that befits a maestro. Cohn's authorial mettle resonates as an epic bard's saga, where the rhythmic cadence traverses the emotional spectrum, engendering a narrative that mirrors the lyrical poetry of antiquity. The ebb and flow of the film's emotional rhythm, akin to the undulating waves of biblical verse, imbue the storytelling with an orchestral resonance reminiscent of the chorales that once echoed within the hallowed temples of sacred scripture. Cohn's tapestry, akin to a majestic fresco adorned with light and shadow, meticulously etches each scene with an artful chiaroscuro, a nod to the Renaissance masters whose canvases bore testament to the human experience's chiaroscuro nature. His directorial aegis conveys the potency of storytelling akin to the oratory tradition, where the crafting of narrative metamorphoses celluloid into an immersive medium of thought and emotion.

The script, a corpus of eloquence and profundity, unfurls a mosaic of dialogue that seamlessly interlaces desire, identity, and sociocultural constructs, reminiscent of a poetic narrative that reverberates with allegorical undertones. Conceived through a marriage of literary intellect between Jared Cohn and Delondra Mesa, the script's dialogue ascends to a pinnacle of textual eloquence, disseminating profundities that resonate within the corridors of human introspection. The narrative's convolution, evoking the riddles of the ancient oracles, propels the audience through an odyssey of deduction and revelation, unraveling with a finesse reminiscent of the enigmatic scrolls that unfurl across sacred vellum.

Charisma Carpenter's embodiment of Michelle is an embodiment of filial devotion and inner turmoil, juxtaposing an authenticity that mirrors the biblical sagas of ancestral legacy and individual redemption. Her dialogues with Morgan Obenreder's Dara become a lyrical sonnet, weaving the allegorical strains of maternal affection and burgeoning identity into a harmonious symphony of familial dynamics. Obenreder's portrayal of Dara, the paradigmatic emblem of resolute adolescence and intuitive sagacity, is a polyphony that converges innocence with erudition, conjuring the persona of Ruth and Solomon's wisdom within the same breath. The interplay between Carpenter and Obenreder traverses the cadence of maternal bonds, refracting the contours of love, fidelity, and individuation through the kaleidoscope of cinematic expression.

The ancillary ensemble, featuring Daniel Baldwin essaying the role of Walter Mulan, engenders gravitas within the narrative, akin to the biblical patriarchs whose sagas emanate through the passages of antiquity. Baldwin's portrayal is emblematic of a patrician psyche grappling with the interplay of progenitorial legacy and existential doubt, offering an eloquent resonance akin to.

With all the hype over Fifty Shades of Gray, it's only natural that there would be several copycat type films tossed out to make a buck off of that market base. However, fans of 1990's late night erotic television can tell you that Fifty Shades is nothing new or in my opinion, all that great. Erotic-psychological fare has long been a staple of HBO and Showtime's After Dark rotation, with actresses such as Shannon Whirry, Julie Strain and Shannon Tweed kicking teenage males hormones into overdrive.

Bound, starring Charisma Carpenter (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel) is more in that HBO-Showtime mode than the Fifty Shades of Gray mode. In fact, it's not that bad a film, thanks in large part to the writers deciding to actually place a plot into the movie instead of depending on the sexual nature of the movie to draw viewers. But don't get me wrong, there is a definite erotic flavor to this film and the delectable and capable Charisma Carpenter looks most appealing dressed and undressed as the story's hero.

Carpenter, known for playing the bossy, assertive prom queen Cordelia Chase in the Buffy-Angel television series displays impressive range as Michelle Mulan, a mundane business woman simply dredging through her comfortable, orderly life which consists of her boyfriend, George (Mark McClain Wilson) who is a bore (in and out of the bedroom) and Dara(Morgan Obenreder), her whip of a teenage daughter who she has no control over. Michelle works at her father's (William Baldwin) real estate brokerage firm, which is on the verge of bankruptcy. Michelle however, believes that the firm can be saved via a merger. Unfortunately, the all-male board view mousy Michelle as nothing more than "daddy's little girl" and her advice and plans for a merger fall on deaf ears. She is even insulted by one of the board members in front of her father, but lacks the fortitude to defend herself and her ideas.

While having dinner at a restaurant with Dara, Michelle finds herself attracted to a handsome, yet shadowy man at the bar. After leaving the restaurant, she receives a call that she forgot to sign the credit card receipt. She returns to the restaurant where she encounters the man at the bar whose name she finds out is Ryan. Unsure of herself, yet helplessly intrigued, Michelle begins to fall under Ryan's Svengali-like charms. Eventually, he takes her completely out of her orderly world and has her smoking joints, drinking during the day and having a sexual rendezvous' in her father's office at the firm. But that's just the beginning. Ryan takes her to a secret S&M club. Michelle becomes intoxicated by her surroundings, fearful, but very much aroused. Soon she finds herself as Ryan's sex slave, submitting to his darkest desires.

Initially, Michelle is excited and intrigued about this new stage developing in her life. However, she soon finds out the truth about Ryan, and the high price that comes with his erotic influence, one that put both her family and career in danger.

The film works because it allows Michelle's character's arch to play out fully. Carpenter is convincing as the woman with everything, but nothing. She is smart, but vulnerable, beautiful but filled with self-doubt. When she begins to lose many of her sexual inhibitions, it is wonderfully shown through Michelle's slow, but effective grasp on a woman with an identity crisis who gradually learns who she is and what she really wants. Carpenter's transformation at the end is believable as the writers give us a reason (her daughter, her career) why she makes the 180-degree turn and is able to stand up against Ryan and his manipulative ways.

Director and writer Jared Cohn does a good job of allowing Carpenter's subtle reactions to her new world to play out. He doesn't try and force-feed us her transformation, instead we see Carpenter debating her choices and then agonizing over her mistakes in a believable manner that leads to a satisfactory end.

The film is visually stimulating, and the S&M scenes come off as both erotic as well as tasteful. Cinematographer Laura Beth Love gives the viewer a rich variety of colors and angles which move the story along, never lingering long enough to create an uncomfortable feeling over the erotic scenes. Carpenter is also filmed beautifully as we see her more dowdy early in the film, and as she gains back control of her life, her appearance softens and becomes more powerful.

If the first erotic thriller you have ever watched was Fifty Shades of Gray, this film might go over your head. However, for fans of the old HBO-Showtime, After Dark films, this is a well-directed, well acted and beautifully filmed movie that is worth a couple of hours.

Ctitize all you want about 50 Shades of Gray/Grey; However; films of the same genre are deciphered by the professionalism of the players and even morso by the director! This film is very solid and a topless Marissa Carpenter doesn't hurt! Very worthy of w as tching!

Many of the previous reviewers have compared this movie with 50 Shades of Grey and it shouldn't be.

While it has some things in common with that movie, it is a completely different story. This is the story of a woman who all her life has done exactly what is expected of her. But after being introduced to BDSM, she finds that it helps her to become a stronger person.

This one is a daring attempt to copy and trade in on "Fifty Shades of Grey". I did not like that one and I only I only sat through this one for Carpenter. It is an adult film. Don't expect much more.

To the point of numbness and stupidity, this movie is a sure watch.