Exit to Eden

Elliot Slater grew up with submissive urges during his Australian childhood with the hot maid. His adult relationships have not worked. He's a professional photographer. At the airport, he takes pictures of diamond smuggler Nina Blackstone (Iman) dressed as an airline stewardess and her cohort Omar. LAPD undercover officers Sheila Kingston (Rosie O'Donnell) and Fred Lavery (Dan Aykroyd) are hunting the diamond smuggling ring. Nina and Omar tries to track down Elliot to get back the photos. There are no known photos of Omar and the cops are after Elliot as well. Elliot signs up for a week on the island of Eden as a submissive. He is followed by the smugglers and the cops. The island is owned by Dr. Martin Helifax (Hector Elizondo) and run by dominatrix Mistress Lisa Emerson (Dana Delany).

O'Donnell is annoying in this one. She needs somebody to rein her in and Aykroyd is the last person to do that. They are the unfunny comedic relief. The premise is horribly manufactured. The island is cheesy. Paul Mercurio is a weak lead and Dana Delany doesn't fit as a dominatrix. It is awkward and silly. There are a lot of naked people and non of it is erotic or funny. Sexy has never been more boring. I don't know how crappy is the Anne Rice novel and Garry Marshall is a complete fail here.

I have looked at this movie at least forty times. It is sheer pleasure. Lots of laughs. I enjoyed seeing Dana Delaaney in a very different role than I have usually seen her. Paul Mercurio too I had only seen before in his profession as a dancer. He is a superb dancer.

At first I was surprised at the extent of nudity, but then realized, how else could they depict the island. Both Dana and Paul have great looking bodies and get to show them off throughout the movie. Paul's outstanding butt is highlighted in a scene between the two of them.

Clever was the scene involving the buttered croissants. Really good flick!!! JFC

As one reviewer pointed out, the film is neither good or bad. I think the problem lies mainly in the marketing. Like many people who viewed this film, I thought it would be a comedy. It is, to a degree. Judging by the subject matter, I knew "Exit" would be at least somewhat risque, but since I found out Garry Marshall directed it, I assumed it would be tastefully done with little or no nudity. After all, this is the guy who directed films like "Runaway Bride" and "The Princess Diaries," and I think he produced "Laverne and Shirley." Naturally, I wasn't expecting softcore porn! Maybe this isn't an EXACT clone of a late night movie on Cinemax, but it comes pretty close. I guess I would compare this with certain adult comedies like "The Bikini Carwash Company" and "Beauty School."

I was entertained and stimulated by some of the nude scenes, and I never knew Dana Delaney had such an AWESOME body! I will never look at her the same ever again! And you've got the handsome Aussie, Paul Mercurio, so there's something for the guys and gals to enjoy. Unfortunately, I kept waiting for something funny to happen and my patience was running low.

Many people think of Rosie O'Donnell as an annoying you-know-what, but that's because many of those people didn't know her until she started doing her talk show. I watched her show sometimes, but I admit there were times where I just wanted to slug her. But she was putting on a sing-songy, G-rated persona for the show. I've seen her one of her stand-up acts on television, and quite a few words had to be bleeped. So trust me, she doesn't have the same clean-cut persona you've seen in her talk show. And she does have a reasonable amount of talent as a comedienne, which is why I wanted to check out the film in the first place. At times she's funny, at times she's not, due to faulty writing and forced comic timing. Dan Aykroyd has a few funny moments as well, but also seems humiliated to be in this movie. Don't expect the same high-energy, manic Aykroyd performance he usually delivers.

"Exit to Eden" works out well as softcore porn, but doesn't totally deliver as a comedy. The film would've worked out better, if it didn't suffer from this identity crisis.

My score: 5 (out of 10)

While not the greatest nor funniest movie I have ever seen, Exit to Eden is unique in that it treats s&m in a non-threatening manner. Unlike most movies which use s&m and b&d as tools to orchestrate a character's psychotic behavior, or to show a ridiculous or funny fetish trait of someones, Exit to Eden shows s&m in a very flattering light--portraying it as sensual and serious, but also playful and fun. Since the subject of this lifestyle has rarely been explored in mainstream movies, this is very important and I would even dare to say groundbreaking, in terms of working to eliminate taboos and misconceptions about a subject through the cinematic medium. Like movies which have dared to display gay and interracial relationships in a realistic light, rather than pandering to cliched stereotypes, Exit to Eden shows that s&m culture can be a very normal, non-violent part of the average person's life. Yes, some of the lines are corny and the acting is less than convincing, but Delany and Mercurio make a dynamite couple with some great chemistry. All in all, I would say this was a decent movie which provides a great service--educating the public about s&m culture--and one which breaks new ground in its presentation of its subject matter.

One thing can be said about veteran director Garry Marshall; he'll go nearly ANYWHERE for love and laughs.

EXIT TO EDEN may be about as unlikely a mainstream comedy/romance as you'll find, with most of the action occurring at a 'Club Med'-type resort catering to S&M devotees, but someone, somewhere, might have been able to pull it off...but not, unfortunately, the ever-conventional Marshall, who, try as he might, can't make either the comedy (as two cops attempt to infiltrate the club to capture a fugitive 'hiding out' among the 'mistresses' and 'slaves') or the love story (as a somewhat jaded 'mistress' discovers the joys of conventional romance with a mysterious newcomer) more than mildly entertaining.

The main problem is miscasting; while a Dan Aykroyd/Rosie O'Donnell team-up might have looked good on paper, on film the two actors have virtually no chemistry together. Aykroyd is better as a 'straight man' than comic, and, as age has given him a 'cuddly' quality (along with extra pounds), the edginess he displayed in THE BLUES BROTHERS or even DRAGNET is gone. O'Donnell, on the other hand, is TOO edgy, and can become annoying quite easily. Her one-liners seem contrived and often mean-spirited...and Rosie in leather is a sight I've been trying to forget for 10 years! Dana Delany fares somewhat better, as the Number 1 Dominatrix (her voluptuous curves, encased in leather, and brief nude scenes have made EXIT TO EDEN a video store favorite), but her personality, fundamentally sweet-natured (more 'Girl Next Door' than 'Supervixen') plays against her. She is simply too 'nice' for her role! Coming off best is Australian newcomer Paul Mercurio, in his first American film. With a twinkle in his eye, he 'plays' the S&M 'game' as a joke, championing traditional romance, and, ultimately, converts Delany to his point of view. Totally natural, Mercurio 'steals' the film from the veteran cast. He, and Marshall 'regular' Hector Elizondo are both so good, in fact, that they seem to have been 'lifted' from a different film!

EXIT TO EDEN stumbles frequently, in it's attempt to be both mainstream AND daring, and ends up being boring and a bit distasteful.

PRETTY WOMAN, it ain't!