Paixões Ardentes

This is an entertaining movie with a lot of potential. The acting is great, and the directing is flawless. This is a film that I was not looking forward to seeing, but I was thoroughly impressed....It is the story of eight twenty-somethings, and their night on the town. They are all looking for some action, and that is exactly what they get. This movie is fast paced, and witty. The only time it drags is when the Director uses this film as a vehicle to offer social commentary on date rape...This movie is definitely worth your money, even if it is just to see Ron Livingston who steals the show.

If you have ever wondered what sort of creative route the writers of Melrose Place might have taken if the show had been made for cable instead of Fox, Body Shots probably comes closest to what you might imagine. It has the same ridiculous scenarios and characters you can't stand, but with graphic sex scenes and explicit language.

Directed by Michael Cristofer (Hush) and written by David McKenna (American History X), Body Shots is the story of eight twenty-somethings still struggling with commitment issues, insecurities, and their libidos. One night on the town, the four men: Sean Patrick Flannery (Simply Irresistible), Jerry O' Connell (The 60's), Ron Livingston (Office Space) and Brad Rowe (Stonebrook), and the four women: Tara Reid (American Pie), Amanda Peet (Simply Irresistible), Emily Procter (Guinevere), and Sybil Temchen (The Passion of Ayn Rand) each pair off under different circumstances, and we are shown each of their "affairs" through a combination of flashbacks, testimonies, and "actual" footage. The film is divided up into three parts, Foreplay, Good Sex/Bad Sex and Afterplay. These subdivisions have no relevance to the plot of the movie, and seem to serve no purpose other than to make the film look trendy.

Dispersed throughout the film were mini-confessions a la the "Real World" where each character ruminates on sex, relationships and men and women. What makes these monologues so absurd is that none of these characters are likable and therefore, their two-cents are uninspiring and completely unamusing. The acting is this film was truly horrendous. It took the cake for worst acting ever. Come to think of it, it took the whole godamn cake store.

A rape scenario is introduced and most of the movie focuses on the two disputing testimonies of those involved. However the he said/she said conflicting stories are cliche and I felt as though I was watching a really bad after-school special. The movie is chock-full of cheesy camera effects such as fade-ins and fade-outs, painfully long close-ups, and unnecessary slow motion. Perhaps the director was hoping to make up for the movie's weak plot, bad dialogue, and horrendous acting with style, but no amount of gloss or tricks could have saved this film. Its two-dimensional characters, countless clichés, and obvious ending make Body Shots as unpleasant as your worst hangover.

I previewed this about two months ago, and I was impressed a little at the beginning but it faded throughout the rest of the movie! I thought Amanda Peet and Sean Patrick Flanery had good roles but the rest of the cast seemed like they were hanging on the bottom of a kite! I was a little disappointed in Tara Reid, I was expecting more than what I got. She has done such a great job in such films as "American Pie", "Cruel Intentions", and "Urban Legends", but somehow this movie just didn't suit her artistically at all. The movie was filled with pointless sex scenes, and the explicit sex scene with Brad Rowe getting his groove in the parking lot of a club. But, I think the whole rape issue in the film could've been left out because it was just boring and a waste of film. The whole he said-she said thing has been drawn out to make a movie a big mess, the only time it has ever worked was in "The Accused" and that's about it! I think "Body Shots" could've have been unmade but I mean it's a good movie to watch if you can't go to sleep but other than that, save your time, and read a book or catch up on what you've missed on "The West Wing".

I watched this at first cuz I am a huge fan of both Tara Reid and Jerry O'Connell. It's all about the 90s club scene, how screwed up people can be, how easily things can happen, and how different memories can be when it comes to court. Plus Tara Reid gets naked, so I love it!

Yes, Body Shots is pretentious all the way, well done, but it's also entertaining, sexy and surprisingly funny. Ron Livingston is hilarious as Trent. There's also some highly steamy sex scenes. Overall, the movie never bored me, it's a perfect example of a guilty pleasure. *** (out of four)