Passion Lane (2001): Amy Lindsay, Richard Neil, Monique Parent, Matt Dalpiaz, Mandy Fisher, Frank Harper, Eddie Jay, Gina Ryder, Danny Pape, Dru Berrymore....Director Reilly Lucas, Screenplay...Louise Monclair.
Many guys and yes they are GUYS, male viewers have criticized and bashed this film as really lousy and plot less, nothing particularly special or memorable as far as erotic films for adults that air on late night Cinemax or Showtime. I'm a woman and I do agree that although there are some flaws in this movie, it's got it's good moments too and it's very enjoyable for women. As mentioned, this is one of many soft-core adult films shown late night on cable. Don't expect to see graphic "money" shots, penetrations and shots of genitals as seen in more hardcore adult films. The most impressive aspect of the film is the writing. The script was written by a woman who has written for Playboy, and this is one of similar films Playboy productions have filmed. Leah Riley (better known as Amy Lindsay) and Richard Neil star as Harry and Olivia, a wealthy California couple who host notorious swingers parties. They send out invitations for a different kind of party with a "Clue murder mystery" theme to Shandra (Monique Parent, here credited as Scarlett Johansing), a writer of women's erotic novels and a promiscuous woman. When we first meet her, she is discussing her new book with her agent and interviewing a cover model (Danny Pape) who will grace the cover of the book. She is a dominant, bitchy, temperamental woman who bosses her shy personal assistant, Alex (Eddie Jay). Invited to the party is Troy (Matt Dalpiaz) a sexist, arrogant and frat-boy like lawyer and his associate lawyer, the timid Janice (Gina Ryder), their neighbors Gwen (Mandy Fischer) and Danny (Frank Harper), a young couple in marriage crisis and French waitress/maid Antoinette (Dru Berrymore). Outwardly, Harry and Olivia appear as if they are just getting everyone primed and ready for a sexual encounters with each other. Everyone has to "role play" and stay in character until the murder is solved, providing excuse after excuse for them to bed each other. But as the weekend wears on, everyone discovers that there is a tad more to this than meets the eye. For Troy, used to having his way with the ladies, it's a hard lesson in humility to pretend to be a shy virgin and to discover that women prefer a soft, sensitive and compassionate type rather than a cocky arrogant type. Gwen and her boyfriend rekindle their lost sexual passion after Gwen reveals her "adult fairy tale" fantasy of being "taken" by a masked stranger. Eddie Jay and Gwen discover that they have terrific sexual chemistry and Shandra, who was not enjoying herself at first, gets inspired to write a new novel, though she and Troy are the only ones who don't experience a change during the erotic weekend. Passion Lane's biggest flaw is the few instances in which the writing is bad and the "Clue" party element is discarded as a mere excuse for sexy role playing. There is no real point to even having this game. Some have called the sex scenes uninspired and they are pretty tame and mild but it is soft-core erotica so one has to know that beforehand. Softcore sex is simulated sex or pretend sex and there is no actual penetration, despite the realistic depictions of sex in motion. I like soft-core and using my imagination and fantasizing so it's not a problem. The women are gorgeous as are the men, especially in the buff. Many of these actors/actresses went on to do many Skinemax films and series but this film finds them early in their "career". The sex scenes with Matt Dalpiaz and the flirty French maid Antoinette(played by Ms. Barrymore) a not to mention the scene with Rafe Urquhart and Mandy Fisher, especially in the princess and the masked assailant fantasy, is very arousing. Passion Lane is cute, but because the script was written by a woman, I suspect the biggest group of viewers who enjoy this are women. This is an example of a pretty tasteful, interesting adult film that can be sexy without being hardcore. I loved it.
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