|
Available on DVD! To buy, click on link(s) below and help keep this site afloat (commissions earned) |
Always make sure of DVD-compatibility!!!
|
|
|
|
|
After her daughter Lauren (Federica Garuti) has been kidnapped, & her
important politician hubby shows remarkably little interest in the whereabouts
of the girl (his stepdaughter), Michelle (Carla Solaro) decides to take
investigations into her own hands. Private Eye David (Antonio Calandrino)
provides her with her first clue, that leads to a ring of S/M-porn- & maybe
even snuff-movie-producers, but is reluctant to get involved in the case,
fearing for his own life.
So, Michelle, left on her own, has to wander the sleazy parts of Paris
alone, striding through a series of Triple-X cinemas, video-rentals & porn
shops looking for anything that could lead to her daughter, until he meets Jean
Luis (Gabriele Gori), who seems to be quite at home at this sort of joint &
who gives her access to even the underbelly of these sleazepits, & through
his contacts, she soon is invited to an alleged snuff-film production - in
Amsterdam.
In Amsterdam though, Michelle has to find out that she is visiting the set
of just another S/M-porn, however, the producer Karl (Valerio Alessandrini)
decides that the presence of her is just too good an opportunity to pass by
& has her stripped & brutally raped & beaten (off-screen though) -
as an initiation-rite, as he later explains to her as he gives her the adress
of Doctor Hades (Anita Auer), who he claims to be the real thing, a producer of
genuine snuff - but the doctor is situated in Hamburg.
In Hamburg, the meeting of Michelle & Doctor Hades proves promising, as
Michelle tries to set the doctor a trap by claiming to want to produce a snuff
movie, offering Hades 200.000 € if she can provide a girl with the
specifications that would also be that of her daughter (of course hoping that
this would really lead to her daughter).
Having set this trap, Michelle is being picked up by American tourist Peter
(Carlo Mucari), with whos she soon has passionate sex before he reveals himself
to be an Interpol-agent trying to break the same snuff-ring Michelle is after.
With a surefuire plan, & Interpol guarding her back, Michelle goes to
the snuff-shoot quite confidently, all ready to spring her trap, but unaware
that this trap can be sprung both ways ...
Michelle meets her daughter Lauren alright, but she has to realize she will
co-star with the girl in the snuff-film instead of producing it, as Hades was
informed about her identity way better than Michelle thought, & Peter, the
Interpol-back-up, suddenly proves to be no cop at all but one of Hades's
collaborators. & as both mother & daughter are neatly tied up &
about to be whipped & stabbed ... enter the police.
Turns out above-mentioned sleazy Jean-Luis was not the despiccable guy
Michelle thought him to be after all but a police officer chasing after the
same snuff-ring as Michelle & seizing the opportunity to use her as bait.
& now, all's well that ends well.
A rather pedestrian re-working of Paul Schrader's Hardcore (1979 - not
this director's best picture), with director Mattei - as you would expect from
him - taking less interest in storytelling techniques or his characters - which
he would treat as merciless as usual -, but more in showing the very sleaze he
pretends to condemn, even if he always stays away from going all-out explicit,
but at some times only just ...
|