Francesca: Sinfonia anale

I was impressed with the beautiful Valentina Demy in the rather throwaway softcore sex film MALIZIA OGGI, but she gets to strut her XXX stuff in Mario Bianchi's OK trifle FRANCESCA.

Bianchi is somewhat unsung but among Italy's most talented pornographers, notably directing Sarah Young's best films, including CASTLE OF LUCRETIA and NIKITA, SEXY KILLER. Here he contents himself with a lower-budgeted, more intimate production, but (continuity lapses aside) it is one sexy number.

Set in England, with convincing costumes and built around a seemingly endless carriage ride wherein Francesca recalls all sorts of past experiences, the film is almost an all-sex opus, but does have intriguing dramatic scenes and dialog. It is dubbed into English with British accents and rather flowery speeches, automatically creating a different effect than the usual slapdash soundtrack.

Lady Francesca (Demy) is haunted by nightmares wherein her husband is killed in a duel. She seeks solace (of a sexual nature) from her friend (familiar Euro porn star Valentino) whose wife Anita (lovely Anita Dark) is off continuing her secret extramarital affair with friend the Count (Zensa Raggi).

Francesca has many sexual dalliances over the course of the film, often with servants, and as the original Italian title proclaims, anal sex is the recurring theme. Some rather confusing editing and scene construction in later reels sort of resolves the suspense of her absent husband's fate, but I was disappointed with the ending on a question mark gambit.

Demy is a striking woman, her visage (except for normal front teeth) resembling the sexy French star Beatrice (BETTY BLUE) Dalle, and she carries the movie. Raggi, with his pencil-thin mustache, resembles here what the artist formerly & currently known as Prince might look like if his career finally goes kaput and he ends up doing porn.