Perspective - Lilith Likes to Watch

Title: Perspective Year: 2019 Starring: Angela White, Seth Gamble, Abigail Mac, Alina Lopez, Michael Vegas Director: Bree Mills Synopsis: A psychological thriller about a couple in the final days of their marriage, as told from each of their perspectives. - Via IMDB Lilith's Notes: It was nominated for, and won several XBIZ and AVN  awards.

NOTE: This review will contain SPOILERS. I suggest you to go watch Perspective and then come back to read this review. All you need to know is that I'm giving it a very good score and that I'm going to explain the reasons why, which venture into deep plot points. You have been warned. 

"I think everyone should taste her."

Not all media has something to say. Not all art has something to say. Sometimes art is just a product that asks the viewer what they see in it. I'm kind of a layman, so, I like it when art has something to say. Even porn can have something to say. I've said in various reviews that I like porn that has characters, and a plot, and tries to say something. Especially in this day and age, when porn is lambasted as a horribly misogynistic industry, full of  abuse and coercion, and completely catering toward men. Gone are the days of "Oh no, I can't pay the pizza delivery guy. Whatever shall I do?"

Enter Perspective a tale about a marriage coming undone. Daniel (Seth Gamble) has a loving wife, Jenny (Angela White), who happily gargles his dick with a smile on her face. The distrust begins when Jenny goes to meet an old friend for coffee and is gone for hours. Daniel points out a bouquet of roses that he didn't get for her. Gradually Daniel becomes more and more certain that his adoring wife is cheating and this drives him down a path of paranoia. In his mind, Jenny's a ball-busting bitch who is texting her lover and talks about her husband's sexual disappointments behind his back. He envisions Jenny with her paramour, and Angela White keeps eye contact with the camera. We, the audience, are Daniel. It's extremely effective.

Just a little nibble.

So, in a bid for control, he follows her one night to a club and watches as Jenny is sexually worshiped by both men and women. After that, Daniel finds a girl to hook up with at a bar, and she takes him home. As he fucks the girl from the bar, he keeps seeing Jenny mocking him, talking about the prowess of her mystery man, riling Daniel up until he finally snaps and slaps the bar girl across the face.

Then he leaves and goes home.

So far, in my mind, this movie is a 3. Good acting, especially by Angela White, good use of colour, and the set designers are having fun.

Things only escalate from here.

Then we shift to Jenny's point of view and replay the day. She is not cheating on her husband but in fact, Daniel is controlling and abusive. The man on the other end of  the texts is a Domestic Abuse Councillor.

Holy. Fucking. Shit.

Holy shit.

Holy shit I've never seen this in a porn before.

This is a message movie trojan horsed in a fucking porno!

Bree Mills you are a god damned genius!

The story plays on, with Daniel spitting coffee in her face and forcing himself on her in the closet. Angela White plays this scene really well. There's a hint of pleasure rekindled, like they both used to not be able to get enough of one another, but gradually Angela White is all Thousand Yard Stares and limp-limbed, and Jenny becomes just something for Daniel to own for his pleasure.

That orgy Daniel saw? A support group for other victims. A woman from the group named Lena (Abigail Mac) helps Jenny pack up her things and the two have sex in a very sweet, tender scene.

A moment of tenderness.

But Daniel finds out about Jenny's plans to leave him and things escalate from there.

The performances in this are all really good.

I was highly impressed by Angela White's acting in this. Much like Rebecca Brooke, White can communicate a purely through the light in her eyes and the tiny wrinkles in her brow line. She has this half-smirk that she uses like a knife. Whether she's being a seductive cheater, an abused spouse, terrified, aroused,  she doesn't have to say anything, her face does it all. She won AVN Best Leading Actress for this role.

Abigail Mac makes Lena's love and care for Jenny believable. I felt that Lena was a genuine person and a positive source of confidence and strength in Jenny's life.

Seth Gamble was good as Daniel but I felt he was a little too stiff and robotic. He wasn't scary enough. Although I did find it effective that all his abuse was mostly mental and emotional. He forced himself on Jenny, yes, but he never hit her. That made his presence frightening in a different way. He won both AVN and XBIZ Best Actor awards for his portrayal of Daniel so that's impressive.

A life line

I don't know what more I can say. This move was a pleasant surprise and, dare I say, important. This is yet another Bree Mills Porn for Women By Women, and it carries with it the ugly side of dysfunctional relationships without blaming outside influences like porn or media or male toxicity. Some people are just shit, and you can find people who understand your pain in the most unlikely of places.

Best Moment: When it's uncovered what the film is truly about.

Worst Moment: I'm starting to think I just don't enjoy orgies. Apparently I draw the line at four-somes. Five or more is just too many.

LILITH'S SCORE: 4/5

So, that's the end of  the roundup of XBIZ and AVN Awards. I'm planning on making it way more structured, organized and timely next year. But now that the awards have been handed out, let's see how each movie did, shall we?

TEENAGE LESBIAN
AVN 2020 Awards:

• Best All Girl Narrative Production
• Best Girl-Girl Sex Scene,Aidra Fox/Kristen Scott
• Best Non-Sex Performance - Wolf Hudson
• Movie of the Year, 
• All-Girl Release of the Year - Feature

XBIZ 2020 Awards:

• Best Actress - All-Girl Release - Kristen Scott
•  Best Cinematography
• Best Editing, 
• Best Screenplay
• Best Supporting Actress - Kenna James 
• Feature Movie of the Year

LOST LOVE
AVN 2020 Awards:

• No Wins

XBIZ 2020 Awards:

• No Wins

CAPTAIN MARVEL XXX
AVN 2020 Awards:

• Best Makeup
• Best Parody
• Best Soundtrack
• Best Special Effects
• Best Transsexual Sex Scene - Aubrey Kate/Kenzie Taylor

XBIZ 2020 Awards: 

• Best Art Direction
• Best Special Effects

DRIVE
AVN 2020 Awards:

• Best Art Direction
• Best Cinematography
• Best Director - Dramatic Production
• Best Drama
• Best Editing
• Best Group Sex Scene - Manuel Ferrara/Angela White/Lena Paul/Alina Lopez/Autumn Falls
• Best Supporting Actress - Maitland Ward
• Best Three-Way Sex Scene (G/G/B) - Manuel Ferrara/Ivy Lebelle/Maitland Ward

XBIZ 2020 Awards:

• Best Actress - Feature Movie -Maitland Ward
• Best Sex Scene - Feature Movie - Manuel Ferrara/Ivy Lebelle/Maitland Ward

PERSPECTIVE
AVN 2020 Awards:

• Best Dramatic Screenplay
• Best Leading Actress - Angela White
• Best Leading Actor - Seth Gamble

XBIZ 2020 Awards:

• Best Actor - Feature Movie -  Seth Gamble

NEXT TIME: I promised time, and time again. This time I make good on my promise. Next week: Secretary.