The prostitute China Blue is the mask that professional designer, Joanna Crane wears by night. Crane hides behind her alter-ego to live in a grimy and seedy fantasy world to escape her reality. Pastor Shayne is Peter Shayne's view into the world of China Blue and her co-workers. The relationship between China and the Pastor is the focus of this bizarre neon-lit fable of salvation, and deciding who is the one in need of saving is complicated. In-between this twisted relationship, in steps Bobby Grady. Grady is hired to follow Crane to see if she's selling her employers secrets to the competition - Grady finds out that Crane's double life is way more complicated than selling secrets...she's collecting them. Grady, whose stale, lifeless suburban marriage is failing, falls for his mark. This evolves into a bizarre ménage a trois with China chasing a fantasy, Shayne and Grady chasing China. What ensues is Crane becoming unmasked and realising that the life she's chosen is not so easy when you have nothing to hide behind.
If all this sounds complicated, or even messy, it's because it is. Russell's visual-audio fantasy is turned up to eleven as Turner and Perkins act out their character's fantasies. And the casting of both really does fit Russell's style, with Perkins undeniably commanding your attention during his scenes. There's a depth in his portrayal of this tortured faux-preacher that keeps your gaze locked on him throughout. However, Turner is as alluring and committed as usual and doesn't suffer from Perkins' chewing the scenery...actually, she chews as much of it as he does. But they never cancel each other out, merely powerfully co-exist. Then there's John Laughlin as Grady, and Annie Potts as his estranged wife. They both do what's needed, with both coming across as naive, when compared to the experienced deviant characters of Blue and Shayne. Grady's man-child naivety helps remove China's mask from Joanna.
The film, however, has obviously been chopped by the powers that be. Russell's narrative is splintered, a little too much at times. And although the 'masks we wear' message is effective, some of the plot points to highlight them are a little disjointed. Saying that, though, Perkins and Turner are mesmerising and they really keep the film entertaining.
