The Sex Merchants

Erotica

Independent Entertainment

R1 DVD

This is an unusual film in that it is made in the old style, with attractive, natural-looking women and a decent plot. There are no money shots, just quite good acting and plenty of tastefully filmed nudity. Thus I have classed the film as Erotica rather than Pornography. I don’t know if there is still a market for this sort of film. I hope so, because it is a pleasure to watch.

Writer / Director John Niflheim has captured perfectly the feel of the older films. Lets start with the plot. Peter is a freelance photographer who sells his work to a sleazy sexploitation magazine. He does fairly well, but the money he makes goes on drugs and paying off his models. He is known as a “hands-on” photographer, and the more attractive models usually finish up in bed with him – for money. His sex life is pretty good, but as a result he is always broke. He also suffers from a pushy, nagging mother.

He is becoming quite fond of one of his models, but Peter’s world starts to fall apart when she suggests moving in with him. This will definitely cramp his style with other girls. He is not ready for that sort of commitment yet. His drug supplier is also pressing him for money, since he runs up quite a drug bill each month. Then the magazine editor breaks the news that he will not be buying Peter’s photos any more – there are plenty of aspiring young models out there who will pose for free purely for the publicity. There is only one way out for Peter.

The young ladies are all quite attractive in a non-enhanced way. We get many close-ups to prove this. Niflheim’s cinematography is simply beautiful. His command of colour and lighting turn the seduction scenes into something quite stunning, really showing off the women. The quality is such that I wonder if the movie was shot on film. It seems to be crisper and sharper than video.

The film’s attention to classical values rather than sexual technique gives us a story that has more of a French feel. It is a visual pleasure, not just because of the women.

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