The Little Details

Running Time: 92 min.

Production Date: 2 / 20 / 2004

Director: Paul Thomas

Cast: Jenna Jameson, Savannah Samson, Wendy Divine, Evan Stone, and Justin Sterling in sexual roles and Tina Tyler, Mandy Bright, Rachel Rotten, and Sunrise Adams in non-sex roles

The Short Story

Initial Expectations: I dont have many fond memories of the Masseuse series, but I cant help but be curious with this female cast.

Initial Reaction: Its well ...

"A Gay Man's Take on Straight Porn"

I have had two experiences with Vivid Video. This is my second. I have to say, if they released more movies like this, I would buy them a lot more often.

The Movie: Normally I talk about the sex and the plot seperate, but it's very hard to do that with this film because both are so tied together. The basic story is of a fairly nerdy, yet attractive young man who becomes obsessed with a masseuse. The story is simple, and yet, because the entire cast is great in their roles, it feels so much deeper. The script is very strong, the direction is very ...

The Masseuse

Dir. Paul Thomas.
Duration. 95 mins. (approx)

Starring. Jenna Jameson, Justin Sterling, Savanna Samson, Wendy Divine, Evan Stone.

Please be aware that this review contains 'spoilers'.

The Masseuse, or to be entirely accurate, Jenna Jamson is The Massuese, is a high profile remake of Paul Thomas groundbreaking 1990 feature. It revolves around the relationship between Justin Sterling, a twenty-something virgin with a fondness for porn and tying himself up, and Jameson, a sympathetic masseuse. The two transgress the boundaries of professional etiquette on their first meeting when Jameson, seemingly touched by her clients naivety, agrees to give him a handjob. Sterling, who shows no interest in the obvious attentions of his co-worker, Wendy Divine, is smitten and, on his next visit, prefers to wait for Jameson rather than take up the option of another masseuse. This time the exchange goes even further, as she agrees to remove her top and perform fellatio. She even goes so far as to take his phone number and agree to visit his apartment, albeit for a price. Once there, she consents to being elaborately bound and ravished.

As a film, this is less than perfect but it remains an outstanding example of high-end, couples friendly, plot-driven porn. The acting is credible throughout, and the development of the narrative is closer to that of a mainstream movie than most porn. There are extended sex scenes, notably the girl/girl between Jenna and Savanna, and a pointless coupling between Evan Stone and Wendy Divine, but the sex tends to feel more like a motivated set-piece than a market-driven necessity; the film does, after all, revolve around an escalating sexual relationship.

Considerable credit should go to Paul Thomas (et al) for several reasons: Firstly, the film is directed with an admirable combination of imagination and restraint. It boasts some clever editing - used most notably to evoke the disorientation and trauma Sterling suffers when interacting with women and some nice tracking shots. It also refrains, for the most part, from protracted genital close-ups (frustrated physicians will be less than impressed). Secondly, the film dares to mix bondage and hardcore extremely rare these days - on more than one occasion. Both Jameson and Samson are penetrated (by toy, penis and, in the case of the latter, strap-on) while thoroughly bound. These sequences are carefully staged, meticulously executed, and, whether youre a fan of BDSM or not, the most memorable of the movie.

Again, its not perfect. The coupling of Stone and Divine, while it does serve some narrative purpose, is an overlong, standard porno number. It also feels like a regression from the original, which had the audacity to limit its sexual action to two characters. Another problem is that the ending is somewhat unsatisfactory. The relationship between the two leads, the dynamic for the whole movie, isnt really resolved. Sterling, a socially awkward love struck male, simply walks away from a woman he seems to be obsessed with: possible, but unlikely.

Turning specifically to the disk, I have no particular complaints about the audiovisual qualities. The picture is a bit soft, and at times quite grainy (typical of most Vivid disks) but I dont consider it a problem. The forced adverts that precede the film, on the other hand, are inexcusable. The main extra is an enjoyable behind the scenes featurette running about 20 minutes. Theres also an audio commentary, which I havent listened to yet, and a number of more predictable extras bonus rooms, positions rooms, etc.

In summation, while its not the best Paul Thomas movie Ive seen, its certainly my favourite of Jennas. Highly recommended.

SDC

Jenna Jameson Is The Masseuse (2004) Studio
Vivid

Genre
Feature Film

Director
Paul Thomas

Starring
Jenna Jameson, Savanna Samson, Wendy Divine, Tina Tyler (non-sex), Justin Sterling, and Evan Stone

Running Time
1:31

DVD Format
Single Sided, Dual Layer (DVD-9)

Aspect Ratio
1.33:1 (full frame)

Special Features
Animated main menu; animated menu transitions; full motion video chapter selection menu; fetish menu; audio commentary with ...