Madame X

"Madame X" stirred some controversy because of its sex scenes. They are actually rather daring, but nothing one hasn't seen before. Actually, compared to what European audiences get to see these days (and I don't only mean "Baise-moi" or "Irréversible"), it is rather tame. They take up a lot of the movie's running time anyway. No wonder since the female lead, Ina Raymundo, is really something to look at.

The story is not half as gripping as Ina's body. It's a predictable and tiresome revenge plot that only serves as a platform for the erotic scenes. Even the actors seem to think so and play with no emotion at all. And finally, the film also lacks technical flair. It is directed very pedestrian and is lit rather badly. The oh-so-important sex scenes are the worst lit of them all. It's hard to make out what's going on. And I don't mean that in a artistically interesting way.

Of all the Filipino films I've seen, "Madame X" is one of the weaker ones. For an erotically charged film from that country, turn to "Ang Kabit ni Mrs. Montero", an update of D. H. Lawrence's "Lady Chatterley's Lover" starring the stunning Patricia Javier. "Madame X" is clearly inferior to that movie and gets a rating of

3/10