Firstly, this is, in the strictest definition, an art film. If you want action, a bunch of T&A, just another chick flick, or a simple linear love story, then this probably is not a film for you.
Secondly, "A Perfect Ending" provides an entire range of potent emotion, from the poignant to the erotic. If you're ready to be transported emotionally, this IS a film you can't afford to miss. Guys will probably not get this, though.
Thirdly, it is not, IMHO, just another "lesbian film." To label it as such and nothing more is to do an injustice not only to writer/director Nicole Conn and the stellar cast and all those involved in the project, but to all those women "out there" who NEED to see the film, because it is, in so many ways, EVERY woman's story on some level.
If you are stuck in a situation, a relationship, a job, a state of mind--any of these things or countless others that tie you up and confine you--then you, too, are on a similar journey as Rebecca must travel. If you are facing your own mortality and have any regrets, this is your story, too. If you feel powerless, then come watch how Rebecca finds her own power. If your whole life you never felt thin enough, smart enough, pretty enough, rich enough, good enough, then you will identify with Rebecca (and surprisingly, the beautiful Barbara Niven who plays her). If you've been wounded, are feeling vulnerable, come see how Paris and Rebecca heal one another's wounds.
AND If you have never had an orgasm, you'll know exactly how Rebecca feels, and you will soar with her when she finally achieves release in the single most erotic love scene I have ever experienced. Nicole Conn holds nothing back, and yet it is not even close to pornographic because it's not about the actual sex (although that is incredibly-well-depicted and tastefully handled!), but rather, it is about how we as women respond to making love--on a profound emotional level. Rebecca's reaction, as portrayed by the incomparable Barbara Niven, will absolutely take your breath away. This is not of the "When Harry Met Sally" lusty "Yes. Yes. Yes." ilk. YOU MUST SEE IT to absorb the impact. You will be aroused and satisfied with this utterly mesmerizing sequence.
Finally, there are multiple themes running through the storyline. It is a complex tale with interleaving elements (over-simplified definition borrowed from computer science = alternating layers/non-contiguous) that Nicole Conn has brought together. She connected the dots beautifully. Think impressionist paintings, dots of color seemingly disconnected. Up close they don't make much sense. But step back and the spaces between the dots disappear and the image emerges before your eyes, as if by magic. Paris even explains her pointillist (post-Impressionist) artwork to Rebecca. A point here, a point there and there and way off to the side, a bigger point, then a darker point--these all have very little meaning in themselves, but when seen in relation to the whole, clarity comes.
This is a profound truth. All the seemingly disparate pieces of our lives actually do make sense with the perspective of distance. And time. But as the white box that Nicole Conn uses with such effectiveness showed, enough distance and we ourselves become a dot in a greater picture.
It's also a story about taking risks, emotionally, physically. And for me, the over-riding theme is that of metamorphosis. Paris begins the film as a high-class call girl. Rebecca gives her the courage to live her passion. Depending on your age you will likely identify with one character more than the other. Former model and up-and-coming actress Jessica Clark is the Yin to her co-star's Yang. If you are of a certain age, you will be entranced by Barbara Niven's artistry as she makes this metamorphosis happen for the character she brings to life. You will love and identify with Rebecca. But you will probably fall in love with Barbara Niven, if you haven't already. You've been warned. :)
So watch this art film for its imagery viewed in flashes. There IS meaning in them and you will understand it after absorbing the whole of the story. From the patina on the bronze statues at the opening, foreshadowing the ending, to the bright flashes of color and texture as Rebecca is about to emerge from her cocoon, all these "dots," these pieces, combine with the "stuff" happening with Rebecca's family. And when the film is over and the credits roll, the images will start to make sense (once you start breathing again). And you'll want to watch it again and again until you've connected all the dots yourself.
The ending is poignant, uplifting, satisfying and perfect. You'll have to see it to understand. It is unequivocally NOT, as some reviewers have said, depressing. It is filled with hope, with possibility and redemption. It's only depressing when viewed through a shallow, simplistic, monochromatic lens.
I wept off and on for the rest of the day after watching it through once, re-watching it, then fast-forwarding to the main love scene and the subsequent, although no less revealing, intimate scenes.
A Perfect Ending was a genuine privilege to experience, and I am forever changed by it.
Run, don't walk, to see it, own it, devour it.
SPOILER:
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For the answer to what the heck Morgan Fairchild's character is doing with all the Barbie Dolls, take note of how the doll she's working on is attired when Paris wants to quit. Nicole Conn knows how to use detail to perfection.
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| Additional DVD options | Edition | Discs | Price | New from | Used from |
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February 11, 2013 "Please retry" | — | 1 |
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