Archive for January, 2008

So many movies, so little time! So what are the sensual movies that you actually own and have on hand for repeated viewing? I dug out my “Sex and the City–The Complete Series” to watch with a girlfriend the other night–something a sensual film lover must have on hand in my book. I started from the beginning and was reminded how much the first season was more about the sex and how the series then developed and became more sensual as the four main characters and their friendships evolved. I was also reminded how I watched the original show when my husband was taking an evening course–I’d have a glass of wine and slice of pizza, watch the show on my own and feel like I’d spent the evening with my girlfriends. Very sensual indeed!

What else do I own? The A&E six part series of “Pride and Prejudice” of course. Mr. Darcy, ah, Mr. Darcy. Have your girlfriends over for a jammy brunch and get started–I guarantee you they’ll want to stay for the whole series! Another sensual series that I don’t own but would snap up in a minute if I could find an affordable collection is the Masterpiece Theatre “Poldark” series from 1975. Don’t look for elaborate sets but plenty of men in knee high boots and old-fashioned but lusty romance!

A less likely candidate and a kind of a guilty pleasure is “Long Kiss Goodnight“–too high a body count to be a sensual movie overall but there is something very sexy about a woman who can take on any man and still have time to do her make up! Samual Jackson is the comic side kick but he can’t hide his sexy power.

Oh, and last but certainly not least, “Swept Away” (the 1975 Italian version only)–that was my first movie pick for this site and it remains my inspiration for sensual film. What are your keepers?

Just as I was updating our Sensual Sources for the winter items, I received an e-mail from a reviewer noting that she had heard about a new film that might qualify as a Barefoot Aphrodite sensual film for women. One of the winter sensual items was Fran’s Luxury Caramels and the movie that the e-mail was about just happened to be “Caramel.” I haven’t seen the film but it is directed by a woman about women and a review described it as “a bittersweet confection casting a rare gaze upon the pleasures, sorrows, longings and romantic desires of Arab women in the Middle East.” While the review noted that “…the predicaments of these women may not in most of these cases feel familiar to those Western been-there-done-that women somewhat higher on the liberation evolutionary scale…,” I can imagine that our sensuality probably unites us as women and this film may definitely have a place on our web site. Look for it later on the site or let us know if you’ve seen it!

Who are the actors who consistently show up in Barefoot Aphrodite’s library of sensual films for women? Johnny Depp, Viggo Mortensen and Richard Gere top the list with two films each: “Benny and Joon,” “Don Juan DeMarco,” “History of Violence,” “Walk on the Moon,” “Shall We Dance” and “Unfaithful.” Some other usual suspects are George Clooney (”Out of Sight“), Daniel Craig (”Casino Royale“) and (a must mention for me) Gael Garcia Bernal (”Y Tu Mama Tambien“). Perhaps some more unusual sensual stars are Rolf Lassgard playing the awkward virgin farmer in “Under the Sun,” and Hiroyuki Sanada as the samurai warrior in “Twilight Samurai.” And as the appeal to our overall panel of reviewers of “Under the Sun” or Nancy’s review of “Twilight Samurai” demonstrates, sometimes the unusual and unexpected can be very sensual indeed. So next time you are selecting a film from Barefoot Aphrodite, forego the tried and true and dabble in the unusual–you may find a sensual selection that surprises you!

How is it that an 80-year-old Anthony Quinn playing a grandfather can be more sensual than 31-year-old Keanu Reeves, in the same movie, playing the love interest (”A Walk in the Clouds,” 1995)?! Because when Quinn’s character eats chocolates and enjoys one and tosses away another in disgust, you believe him and can almost taste the chocolate yourself! When Keanu says, “I want you, you don’t know how much,” you don’t really believe him. You want to, you’re rooting for the guy and he’s hot, the scene is incredibly hot, but he just doesn’t deliver. In a scene where the drunken grandfather tries to teach Keanu’s character a Mexican song of love, Keanu can barely get out a lyric because he is laughing–it is almost as if when he is on camera with Quinn that he is thinking, “80 years old or not, I can’t hold a candle to this guy!” Little wonder that in his real life at the time, Quinn had just fathered a child with one still to follow!

A few women have recommended “Under the Tuscan Sun” with Diane Lane as a sensual film for women. While it may still end up as a selection for our site from another reviewer, I watched it the other night and felt that it was too false and fake to feel sensual to me. I was surprised, however, to find myself thinking about it the next day–a sure sign for me that a film has some value. What struck me was the sensual lessons of the film. Even though they were delivered in a way that seemed contrived and insincere, the lessons themselves still rang true.

I thought it was quite lovely that the main character of Frances, played by Diane Lane, discovered in the end that she had gotten all that she wished for (a wedding in her garden, a family for her home, someone to feed in her kitchen) even though she hadn’t realized it. How often we forget to enjoy the sensual of what we have (sometimes quite simple things as you will find from selections on reviewers’ lists of Top 20 Sensuals) because we are wishing for the sensual of what we think we don’t have. Another lesson is to never lose your childish sense of wonder–how often do we need to be reminded of how sensual our world is from the pleasure of a child. The character of Katherine may be a bit absurd but she sure can enjoy an ice cream cone! And then there is the reminder from the film of how achingly beautiful Italy can be. While a lot of the film feels like a movie set, there are still impossibly beautiful shots of sunflower fields, tumbling coastal towns and open air markets. It reminded me of a trip to Verona where I found everything so beautiful I could literally hardly breathe!

So does this film end up on my list of sensuals? No. But it does remind me of what this site is all about. A sensual film is often a momentary escape from the mundane but, hopefully, it stimulates you enough that you come away appreciating the sensuality of the reality around us. And hopefully there is a Mr. Martini in everyone’s life who will promise to make love to them if they don’t stop being sad all the time!

The search for sensual films for women is not an easy one. All the reviewers on our site had an original list of definite favorites in mind at the onset but this list was quickly exhausted. If you define “sensual” film to your women friends and ask them for some movie suggestions, they can usually think of one or two but not more. As noted before, there are many sensual scenes in films that come to mind but an overall sensual film is much more difficult to agree on. While it’s disappointing to sift through movies like “Half Moon Street” or “A Brief Vacation” or “Lady Chatterly’s Lover,” it’s also exciting to stumble upon a gem like “Stealing Beauty” or “Nowhere in Africa.”

The 2006 French version of “Lady Chatterly’s Lover” is a perfect example of a film that one would expect to be completely sensual that ends up disappointing. There is a beautiful (if trite) contrast of Lady Chatterly’s awakening sexuality with her appreciation of the natural world around her. There is a nice build up of attraction between Lady Chatterly and the unattractive but manly gameskeeper with the resulting sudden surrender to passion. But in the end, there is little electricity between the lovers and there is no sense of there being anything beyond a sexual connection. After the initial excitement of the sexual couplings, there is a monotony about the couple’s trysts.This could still work but the film comes to an abrupt ending that leaves the viewer unsatisfied. Directed by a woman too, so even more disappointing…disappointing but we keep on searching!

Happy New Year from Barefoot Aphrodite! It’s easy to come into January completely drained of every sensual bone in your body but it’s also a great time to reevaluate and explore and expand on what is important to you.

One thought I wanted to explore was sensuality and age. Just as the site came into being, I saw a clip where a jock comedian joked that when he saw the word “sensual” in a personal ad, he imagined someone’s Aunt Suzy who doesn’t quite fit into her ski suit the way she used to. At first the joke irritated me but then I realized it was funny because there was some truth to it. Unfortunately, a woman’s comfort with her sexuality and outer and inner self often comes with age and experience–when she is no longer preoccupied with men or meeting their expectations of what looks and is sexually enticing and, let’s face it, at an age when it’s a lot harder to keep everything firm and sassy. How sad. How sad that when we are young, we lack the confidence to be secure in ourselves and what makes us content. I don’t know if it’s possible to bipass that learning period but young men certainly seem to know what pleasures them and yet work very little to be enticing themselves! So why not women?! On that note, I welcome all the 20 somethings out there and younger to join Barefoot Aphrodite in exploring what brings them sensual pleasure. Sensual films for women are an easy, private way to start the exploration!

In regards to flim, I had the opportunity to see “The Waitress” over the holidays. I’d have to go back and rewatch it to say whether it was a sensual film overall but I loved the concept of a woman who mentally creates a pie to sum up an experience (for example: “I Can’t Have No Affair Because It’s Wrong And I Don’t Want Earl To Kill Me” pie–vanilla custard with banana…hold the banana)! The love interest notes the woman’s sensuality and I can’t agree more. It reminds me of a cute guy I saw coming out of store who had a “I Brake for Pie” bumpersticker on his car. I noted it and he said, “Yah, I had that one made.” Sigh–so sensual (some guys actually do get it or just ARE it).

Whatever your age and predilictions, take this month to enjoy, really enjoy, a piece of your favorite pie and then sit down to a sensual movie selection from Barefoot Aphrodite.