Hollywood Babylon Review

Reviewed by ColleensDragon  on  6/10/2014

Hollywood Babylon
starring:
Sovereign Syre as Nomi Del Mar
James Deen as Gregory Todd
Steven St Croix as Dr. Wisher
Deanna Dearmond as Karen Wisher
Some Dude as Tab Clifford
Michael Vegas as Monty Francis
Ramon Nomar as Dr. Perez
Valentina Nappi as Valentina Perez
JM Darling as Detective Monroe

From director/writer Dana Vespoli
an Evil Angel Production

From the first moment, this movie feels like being swept over the side of the boat, tossed relentlessly on the tide to finally be deposited, wrung out, on some strange shore.

The movie begins by introducing us to Nomi Del Mar, played with incredible depth by Sovereign Syre. Ms Syre is the centerpiece of the film. The way she portrays Nomi with complete honesty & total commitment to the reality of the character was so impressive to me that, while this is the first thing I have seen her in, I am now a great fan of this gifted actress & excited to see what I have missed from her. Nomi is a want-to-be-starlet, newly in Los Angeles. Soon, she is discussing the steps she followed in pursuit of her dream to Tom Monroe, played by JM Darling. The calm intensity of Mr Darling's performance is beyond impressive. He makes it nearly impossible to recall that you are watching a movie. The interaction between Ms Syre & Mr Darling is the tangled thread that holds the entire film together in the most understated but commanding way possible. The juxtaposition of Nomi's verbal account of the events against what we see taking place is confounding until the end of the film when everything finally clicks into place like a dark kaleidoscope.

For the first sex scene of the film we see Ms Syre having an audition with director Gregory Todd, played in his loathsome glory by James Deen. Mr Deen shows us a stereotypical, Hollywood director in a palpably distasteful way that sets the tone for the rest of the story. When the superbly talented Mr Deen,who is arguably the current 'sweetheart playboy' of adult entertainment, takes on one of these darker roles we have the opportunity to glimpse how accomplished an actor this young man already is. There is some very delicate, verbal foreshadowing in this scene that seems non sequitur in the moment but makes perfect sense in the end or on a second viewing.

Next we meet Dr. Wisher aka The Doll Maker played by Steven St Croix. Mr St Croix never disappoints in his performances. He has such an extensive acting range that it is no wonder he is one of the busiest actors in the industry, well respected amongst his peers & always a deserving nominee in the awards season. In Hollywood Babylon, his portrayal of the megalomaniacal doctor with a very different idea of 'family' feels so textured & authentic it is disturbing.

Then we meet Monty Francis, played by Michael Vegas. Nomi tells Detective Monroe that Monty is Dr Wisher's secretary & a member of their 'family'. As Monty, Mr Vegas brings 'to life' a character that was somewhat reminiscent of Psycho's Norman Bates for reasons I can't quite identify. While Mr Vegas has no lines in the movie the gravity of his presence is undeniable. What his character means in the overall scheme of things is something to be on the lookout for.

The second sex scene of the movie is between Ms Syre & Mr St Croix. I have never seen actors stay more in character during a sex scene, ever. The dialogue is downright warped. Nomi's explanation of their relationship after is even more disturbing.

Moving to the third sex scene we see Ms Syre with Some Dude as movie star Tab Clifford. Mr Dude also has no lines which is significant. The character of Tab Clifford seems to be a sort of 'ray of light' in the story. Rather than that light relieving the darkness, which is ever present in this film, this brief illumination seems intended to more starkly reveal the shadows at the end of the day. The transitional beach scene between Ms Syre & Mr Dude has a 'From Here To Eternity' feel to it. In the same way that Mr Vegas communicates something quite unnerving without use of words, Mr Dude seems to gleam from within. This is one of the 'sweetest' seeming sex scenes I've seen him in.

The fourth sex scene of the film is a three way featuring Ms Syre, Valentina Nappi as Valentina Perez & Ramon Nomar as Dr Ramon Perez. Fans of 'spit play' & g/g will really enjoy this scene.

For the final sex scene of the film we see Dana Dearmond as Karen Wisher with James Deen's Gregory Todd. Dana Dearmond gives us a Karen Wisher who is as mentally cracked as she is severely beautiful. Ms Syre, Mr St Croix & Mr Vegas are present in this scene, as well. The actions/reactions of Ms Syre & Mr Vegas are important to notice in terms of plot. The verbal interaction between Ms Dearmond & Mr St Croix are taut as piano wire & feel just as lethal.

The story progresses to the final scene between Nomi & Detective Monroe. It is in this resolution that so many of the small details throughout the story are suddenly drawn into sharp focus. It was in the second viewing of the entire movie that I came to appreciate how delicately woven the story is. There were so many small details that only made sense after having the story as whole in my mind that I doubt I have even recognized them all, yet.

Director Dana Vespoli tweeted that while she wrote the story & screenplay, much of the dialogue was improvised & she gave tremendous credit to her brilliant cast on the final product. From a viewer's perspective I am in awe that the actors improvised. Each character's dialogue was flawless. Each actor was perfectly committed to their character. While the characters were strange the portrayals felt completely believable within the context of the story. However brilliant a cast is, a film can not achieve this level of excellence without a great story, and an exceptional director with a vision and the craftsmanship to carry out that vision. Ms Vespoli is definitely a director to keep a close eye on for years to come.

In preparing for this review I kept asking myself if this was a movie I liked. While it had me enthralled from the opening moments 'like' is not a word I would choose. I like parodies. I like romantic comedies & happy endings. I like movies where woodland creatures cheerfully help with household chores & groups of strangers burst into completely spontaneous yet perfectly choreographed song and dance numbers. Hollywood Babylon is the antithesis of what I like.

However, I respect & admire this work more than I can express. I earnestly believe that Hollywood Babylon is not a porn flick. Nor is it an adult entertainment movie. It is a perfectly executed example of 'film noir'. It is a dark, depraved, disturbing take on the “young girl goes to Hollywood to make it big” story with intense, hard core sex scenes in it. I believe this movie is destined to become a cult classic. If you like darker movies, I highly recommend this film. If you like true, old school cinema, I highly recommend this film. If you want to see what adult entertainment can be at it's artistic best, I highly recommend this film. In fact, I recommend not just renting it but buying it outright so you can watch it several times to pick up all of the things you may have missed. Hollywood Babylon is well worth your time and your money.