Monamour (2006)

A ‘customer complaint’:

I watched this with my girlfriend. We’ve never seen a Tinto Brass movie before and just stumbled over this one at the local video store. At the backside of the cover it says “erotic-thriller” by a “cultdirector”. And as we like both (erotic and thriller), we decided to give it a try.

It wasn’t anything like we expected. My girlfriend hated it because of the awful sex-scenes. There was no erotic, no thriller and no plot at all, just a poor actress committed to an old mans chauvinistic fantasies. Men don’t talk in this movie, the only grab the poor actress’s ass, pussy or tits, which is followed by sudden sexual intercourse. And women only talk about the size of penises and the need to have sex again. This movie fells like it has been written in 2 hours after watching a porn-movie.

However, DVD Holocaust has this review:

From the mind of erotic film maker Tinto Brass comes this tale of newlyweds, Dario and Marta, who it seems are having a little trouble with their marriage.

Dario, after just six months of marriage, has become comfortable and predictable and Marta is craving adventure and passion. When the couple find themselves in Mantua attending a literature festival, Dario is so busy networking he doesn’t notice just how bored and frustrated Marta has become. She soon finds excitement though with Leon and a whirlwind affair follows.

Dario on discovering her diary is both torn apart and horny, not really wanting to believe his wife would cuckold him even though she has been hinting at it all along but still finding himself aroused at the idea of his wife with another man. Marta, revelling in the throes of her affair, the excitement of the moment, has to decide where her loyalties lie and when Leon finds himself falling in love with her, the stakes are raised even higher.

Tinto Brass has a look and feel to his movies that stamp them as his own. He also always seems to find gorgeous, extroverted natural women to star in his films. This is no exception, Anna Jimskaia is hot and just that shade of slutty to make you believe her story.

With the art of Guilio Romano as a backdrop as well as the city of Mantua itself, the film looks stunning.  All of Tinto’s usual fetishes are there, the mirrors, the close ups of women’s bums and even a couple of déjà vu moments from his film Cheeky! – a boat scene, a sensual massage- but hell he does it so well, who are we to begrudge him? As well there’s his usual cameo appearance, this time discussing sex vs porn vs art. Brass makes movies that raise the bar (literally!) on what soft porn/erotica can be.