It's a topic we all talk about. A subject that we're afraid to talk about. A taboo, a unique idea that we all think about but often feel unable to talk about.
Based on Belle De Jour's novels, Secret diary of a call girl is a full blown intimate and sexcapade that is quite honestly, brilliant.
Forget your 50 shades of Grey, this British programme brought about a whole new wave of sex and the boundaries which we cover and don't cover and will open your eyes into lives that you had heard about, never fully believed, but will blow your mind with every episode.
Billie Piper portrays Belle De Jour, a high class London call girl, living the high life with the nice apartment, the trendy attire and when it comes down to business, she is well equipped and professional to go toe to toe with the strangers of the night.
For those already presuming this is going to be sleazy and cheap with plenty of sex, nudity and general degrading remarks and one liners, my friend, you have no idea.
Released in 2007 and finishing in 2011 this 4 season hit compiles the intimate, dramatic and frequently funny accounts of Belle, a confident professional wrapped deeply in her job as a call girl, battling the ever demanding pressures of keeping secrets from friends and family, working professionally despite personal dramas and as ever, often meeting a certain man who makes her feel that little bit different.
Piper gives Belle a wonderful confidence that shines right through to the viewers at home, the male viewers won't be complaining too much. It's not simply the skimpy clothes and raunchy seductive sex scenes, but the confidence of the character, the idea of her being special is always there and Piper never wavers. Her story is wonderfully told and we get an insight into her character through her camera facing turns, giving us her insights into the business and into her emotional connections.
Whilst each season has a serious guy in Belle's life and this can feel slightly mundane at points, its the dirty little secrets of the business you'll be hooked to, exploring the client's fantasises, seeing how the money changes hands, how call girls interact with one another and the fun they have with their clients and the drama that goes alongside the demanding profession.
Some great moments include wrestling turn-ons, movie portrayals, book scripting, fancy dress parties and exploration of various fantasies (fantastic James Bond montage) The diversity of the show is constantly shifting from simple location shots to exploring America to the darkness of clubs and the seedy realism of the human spirit is frequently mesmerizing. The fact the camera shifts from Belle in her moment to her facing the camera and giving us some cheeky quote or divulging some intriguing business information, this invites us right into the story.
But the bottom line is that this is a programme about sex. A programme that does not shy away from the nature of what it is, what we desire, how we tackle it in relationships, how we deceive others and how we crave that erotic fantasy and a feeling of freedom from reality.
There is no nonsense, any question you have will be answered and portrayed here. There is a lot of nudity, a lot of flirting and innuendos, and graphic bedroom scenes that justify the nature of the industry and indeed, life. Always enjoyable and frequently jaw dropping, Secret diary will invite you into the secret world of an industry and will open your eyes to those ideas and possibilities you were always uncertain about.
