Word of Mouth

Rating:
Released: 1999 Mystique Films
Starring: Catalina Larranaga, Daniel Anderson, Jamaica Charley
Directed by: Tom Lazarus
IMDb

Those whose taste in softcore runs on the cerebral side will find lots to like about Word of Mouth, an intelligent and very hot film that rises far above traditional “B” movie standards. Hell, to even call this a “B” movie would be misleading; you’ll find no amateurish acting, no razor-thin plot, and no scrimping on the production values. What you will find is a well made and captivating little sex-o-drama that slowly draws you in and turns you on unlike any other movie I’ve seen in quite a long while. Yeah, I liked this one. I liked it a lot.

Word of Mouth is about an independent filmaker who becomes obsessed with a high-class call girl, the central figure of his documentary on prostitution. Catalina Laranaga gets the nod for this role as Torri and, to my delight, her model-perfect face gets tons of screen time as she talks directly to the camera during the many interview segments interspersed throughout the movie. No complaints from me; this natural and vaguely exotic beauty is real easy on the eyes. Frequent through-the-lens-style close-ups seen seem to challenge us to find facial flaws but I, for one, could not. She’s not too shabby in the talent department either, and gives a standout performance as a complex character in this relatively demanding role that basic b-movie bimbos would certainly have botched.

There’s plenty of good and very realistic sex in Word of Mouth, but as the title suggests, what makes it all work is the dialogue (believe me, you will not want to fast forward through the “non-sex” scenes). Robert Rand plays Darrow, the curious movieman who asks all the right questions of Torri and is rewarded with the kind of answers he (and we ) want to hear, and in fairly explicit terms. Torri, it seems, is quite accomplished at giving guys exactly what they want, even if it’s just good interview, and before long has Darrow thinking that perhaps there’s some real chemistry between them, and that the seduction routine is not just a game. Either way, he sees her as “special” and is majorly smitten. In one of the hotter sex scenes in the movie, Torri does her thing with a client but makes eye contact with Darrow as he hides in a closet, watching and filming, all the while practically going nuts with frustrated desire.

Fans may recall that House of Love was another fine film by writer/director Tom Lazarus and that, not coincidentally I’m sure, also deals with the subject of prostitution. One has to wonder if House and Word are part of a personal campaign to change attitudes about the oldest profession and-as Torri says so convincingly, “.take prostitution out of the back alleys and make safe, healthy sex available to everyone.” Listening to her, I dare say that very few guys could-or would-put up much of an argument. At the very least, this flick will get your attention, and not simply by dangling tits in your face.

Favorite Line:

“If all the men in powerful positions had their dicks taken care of on a regular basis, this world would be a more peaceful place.”