A Love Story

In between all-sexers and "blockbuster" productions, Brad Armstrong penned and directed this rather soggy romance for Wicked Pictures starring his favorite leading lady, Jessica Drake. Jessica is credited in lower case, and this proves to be a lower case effort.

Xander Corvus's acting is subtler than usual, as he portrays a stereotypical writer, right down to banging out his manuscript on a very old manual typewriter, once the property of his mother. But Brad's script is sincere, even when piling cliche upon cliche.

He plays Xander's publisher, anxious to get the golden boy's new novel manuscript delivered on schedule. Posters for Wicked releases like "Wedding Bell Blues" and "The Wicked" are displayed on Brad's office wall, passed off as dust jackets for novels but clearly plugola here.

He hires his favorite "finisher" (i.e., a writer wrangler who supervises troubled projects) Jessica Drake to ride herd on the boy, which she does in true femdom (without the sex till the inevitable final reel coupling) fashion.

Along the way, Brad uses the usual porn vignette structure, as we watch romance novel styled sex scenes in period costumes as chapters in Xander's book come to life. Both Corvus and Drake get to enact dual roles by starring as characters in various chapters.

Supporting femme cast is effective in (or out of) period dress, including busty Latina Kiara Mia and surprisingly busty ingenue Alexa Nicole.

Overall the story aimed at Couples audiences is way too tame for its era (2012) and nothing especially diverting occurs in Brad's screenplay.