Portland Manor

British-based and India-born actress turned director Anjali Kara's PORTLAND MANOR is a welcome addition to the small field of Victorian pornography on screen, a genre which has gone fallow in recent times. It is highly recommended for XXX fans of a literary bent.

My introduction to erotica came in the form of Victorian underground literature, reading books like "The Pearl" and "My Secret Life" back when they became belatedly legal and widely published towards the end of the '60s. Although I also read modern novels, especially much of the oeuvre of Henry Miller, it was those 19th Century period pieces with their colorful atmosphere and weird, archaic language (talk of shaft, sheath, gamahouche, birching and other odd terminology) that aroused my interest.

Storyline of PORTLAND MANOR has Lady Louise Jenson (typical of Adult cinema the players use their stage names as character names for simplicity's sake) arrives in 1888 from the countryside to take charge of the London estate bequeathed to her by her late great aunt. Paige Turnah is in charge, and introduces Lady Louise to the male benefactors whose patronage keeps the household running, in return for "favors".

Director Kara doesn't waste much time on developing this story, but focuses instead on very sensual sex scenes and plenty of atmosphere. We don't see Portland's facade but the interiors are richly authentic as is the costuming (to a point). Significantly, she takes considerable artistic license in having the women wear modern undies, fancy and sexy synthetic stockings which are maybe 100 years out of place.

Jenson is a real find, bearing a charming smile, innocent enthusiasm, and huge natural breasts that are in the league of classic stars like Virginia Bell, rather than the more recent artificial trend. She dominates the sex footage, either appearing in lesbian trysts, as a masturbating voyeur or in boy/girl action, clad in a beautiful blue dress that while raised is never removed - part of the Victorian genre charm. She has subsequently appeared in several U.S. gonzo videos, wasting her talents.

From an acting standpoint Lady Paige dominates, having a quick wit and laudable way with improvised dialog. Film's climactic scene is orchestrated by Turnah and the feature's best evidence of a willingness to recreate Victorian fantasies and fancies for a modern audience, as petulant Paige browbeats her black servant girl Kitty Cox amusingly en route to a mini-orgy. The all-important class distinctions are heightened by the introduction of mixed-combo and light BDSM elements in this sequence.

Probably the show's biggest star Porcha Sins makes a welcome guest appearance as Madame Porcha, a visitor who joins in the sexual shenanigans and upholds auteur Kara's preference for casting huge-breasted women. Male talent here sports the large cocks that are mandatory in porn and among them Kai Taylor is even more well-endowed than his Chatsworth counterparts on the Left Coast. Jamie Barry's red military outfit is another visual highlight.

Language carefully adheres to a policy of avoiding the annoying porn-speak that permeates XXX videos, substituting lively and amusing verbal interjections throughout (even during the throes of passion): Paige blurting out "Oh yes, pleasure me!" when Kai does her doggy-style: "Let me see one's jism" as she often speaks in the third person; "Will you release those bosoms?" as she initiates a lesbian scene with Lady Louise; and the Major's orgy supervision line: "Unleash your John Thomas and fill her mouth with it".

There are perils in trying something elaborate like this, as in Paige's frequent (almost distracting) pushing down of her rising-too-high dress during sex, as it momentarily reveals her anachronistic elaborate belly tattoo. Talk of "wood" and "woodsman" sounds British enough but I daresay is colloquial phallic language of the 20th not 19th Century, popularized by the likes of Ron Jeremy.

I've been watching many of Anjali's other videos (all modern) of late and she emerges as a real, if unsung (in America) talent. PORTLAND MANOR finishes with a title reading "ENDE", indicating its label Daring! Media Group is based in Holland, though IMDb contradicts its official policy in identifying her videos as of British nationality -emphasizing where they are shot (see the Canadian instead of U.S. designation for Sweet Sinner, Sweetheart Video and Brazzers for example as making the proper distinction).