We look at this old worn out porn theatre in Paris. It shows only straight pornography for a clientele of men of various types: military men, straight men look for gay sex, married men in need of exploration of their senses, transvestites, old men for whom such places provide the only sexual outlet, and the regulars who spend their evenings in the dingy darkened atmosphere for anonymous sex. The theatre is run by a single 40-ish lady, who by now has seen every aspect of sexuality and nothing surprises her. The film focuses mostly on her talks with the young straight projectionist where they are getting to know one another. Another piece of the puzzle is this regular visitor who the lady knows. During the course of the film the cashier manages to discuss her open views of sexuality with these two men and the three of them seem headed for a communal experience. And of course between all this, a major part of the film focuses on various acts happening inside the theatre. Bathroom group encounters, Transexuals, approaches and rejections and quick satisfactions. A lot of man-on-man action and a lot of nudity between them, qualifies for the film to feature on my blog.
Let’ be honest, the film does not provide entertainment but sparingly enough it make you a voyeurs into life of these people watching porn. We are curious know whats gonna happen to each of these people. While the interaction between the characters is touching, and their openness with one another seems genuine, the viewer cannot help but feel unnerved by the lack of sexual scruples of the audience members. As I mentioned above, it can be argued whether it is porn or art but these days anything can be made into a film. This was not a boring film but then at the same time, nothing much really happens. If you enjoy voyeurism, then you may enjoy it. For me, some of the happenings inside the movie theatre were way too long and I was hoping something more substantial to happen. But instead, we watch the regular ongoings and interactions between people, which to be hones, I expect is what really happens. The film doesn’t unnecessarily sensationalise it.
It is not entertaining but its not boring either. I personally could classify it as an artsy fartsy fair, a little too much on one side of the spectrum, which is not really my cup of tea. (4/10)
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