Marie And Jack: A Hardcore Love Story Review

Update (3/27/2004): A number of improvements have been made to Marie and Jack. Comstock Films discontinued the DVD-R version last year. The movie is now replicated on high quality DVDs and packaged in standard size Amaray cases with full-color inserts. Multiple chapter stops help facilitate skimming. A time code/time search function is enabled for the entire disc. Also, the minor audio glitch on my original reviewer's copy has indeed been fixed. For more information, see the "Marie and Jack Q&A" thread at the Adult DVD Talk forum. Comstock Films deserves a lot of credit for such a gracious response to customer feedback. A fantastic movie is now even more fabulous!

Cast: Marie Silva (aka Aria) and Jack Bravo.

Director: Tony Comstock

Production date: ©2003

Length: 28 min.

Extras: The 16 minutes of sex footage can be viewed separately from the documentary. One option provides a picture-in-picture (PIP) view of the two angles simultaneously; another option eliminates the inset picture while still allowing your choice of angle.

Quantitatively speaking, this doesn't amount to much for the special features. The PIP footage is so fascinating, however, that I've rated the extras at three stars. After viewing the nearly continuous coverage by the two cameras (there appears to be a bare minimum of edits), I believe the action was never interrupted. This is as authentic and intimate as it gets.

Audio/visual quality: The camerawork is handheld, with good use of movement around the performers to catch the interesting angles. There are a few jitters, but I've seen much worse. The main feature is masked to a widescreen aspect ratio. There's a "gauzy" look to the interview; the sex footage is clear and well focused and doesn't shy away from explicit penetration shots. Close-ups are somewhat favored over wider shots. The skin tones are shifted to the pinkish-orange, which might be reflective of the paint color on the walls. The audio is good in a straightforward way. With no music anywhere on this disc, it's possible to hear every breath and sigh. The mics also pick up a few snippets of muffled traffic noise. I'm happy these were left in, however, since they only contribute to the fundamental reality of the scene.

Blunders, bugs and boo-boos: There's a teensy-weensy glitch with an interview segment, where the audio is briefly out of synch. I've been told it's now been fixed.

First impression: "Real people, real life, real sex." The Comstock motto says it all.

Scene highlights: Marie and Jack is a documentary which introduces us to a married couple who works in porn. They talk about their relationship before engaging in sex similar to what they would enjoy in complete privacy. Specific interview topics include their initial expectations and deep commitment to one another, smoothing other performers' anxieties, "practice" sex, coaching on the set, differences between work and personal sex, and more. The spoken sections are intercut with the sex scene to shed light on certain aspects of Marie and Jack's love life.

The hard-core portion begins with affectionate kisses and palpable anticipation. Jack helps Marie remove her tank top, and she pulls off his shirt. His pants come off for a luscious blowjob, after which he buries his head between her legs for very effective oral work. He teases her by brushing his penis along her pubic bone before inserting it. Her natural lubrication coats his shaft. They roll through a variety of positions (missionary, cowgirl, a lapsit) in such a natural manner that it hardly seems right to call them positions. Sometimes they smile and make eye contact; sometimes they just close their eyes in pleasure. Marie appears to have a genuine (relatively quiet) orgasm as Jack diddles her clit in the spooning position. She presses her thumb into his mouth as he approaches his climax. We see their faces at the moment of Jack's orgasm, and the camera quickly pans to catch the last drops of ejaculate spilling onto her belly. He plants a sweet little smooch on her forehead, and they laugh and interlace their fingers together.

Thumbs up: Although it might sound vanilla from the description, the sex is truly hot just because it is so real. Marie and Jack are a very likable couple—sincere and earnest without taking themselves too seriously. The director has beautifully captured their humanity, and I can't think of a better movie to share with a loved one, particularly one who's new to porn.

Mr. Yoga did watch this movie with me (he's not new to porn, but he's not a great fan, either), and one of his first remarks was "no tattoos!" Marie's clit piercing does bother him a little. But otherwise, these two performers seem very comfortable in their unadorned skins and are quite attractive in an accessible way. Their physiques are healthy and athletic, apparently un-"enhanced" by steroids or plastic surgery. We like the freckles across Marie's shoulders, too.

Thumbs down: The disc I received is a DVD-R in a slim jewel case. No, it isn't a bootleg; my particular copy arrived direct from the producer's mailing address. I have no problem with the packaging, but it's something to be aware of if you're planning to present this as a gift and need it to be fancy-schmancy. You should also be sure that DVD-R discs work in your player before purchasing Marie and Jack, since this format is not compatible with all models.

The other complaints are also truly minor. Some potential viewers will undoubtedly balk at the running time. I did, too, at first. It has left me so satisfied, however, that I can't penalize it for its length. Marie and Jack contains more chemistry in a half hour than ten other good movies put together. The picture color is slightly warm for my taste, and I personally would've preferred to see a little more of the ejaculation (but not at the expense of asking Jack to move his arm). Regardless, this is a fabulous movie, and just the beginning (I hope) of more to come.

Themes: Documentary, straight, oral, real life couple, real female orgasm, kissing, undressing.

Condom use: None.

Juice-o-meter: High.

Final analysis: Violet Blue (author of The Ultimate Guide to Adult Videos) has named this her favorite adult movie of the season. I'm sitting here nodding in dumbstruck agreement. Marie and Jack has already claimed a place in the Kinsey Institute Library Permanent Collection; if you're a serious fan of explicit erotica, it should probably be in your collection, as well.

Special thanks to astroknight, 1,000+ reviewer extraordinaire, for hosting my screenshots.