Perspective

Jennifer (Angela White) and Daniel Morris (Seth Gamble) are a tortured husband and wife pair who each view their marriage to one another very differently. For Daniel, Jennifer’s cruelty is boundless and emasculating as she engages in a scandalous affair right under his nose. For Jennifer, Daniel is a violent, manipulative, terrifying drunk who controls her every move with fear, aggression and emotional torment. Jennifer and Daniel offer two perspectives of the same situation and it is up to the viewer to decide which truth is reality.

Feature adult cinema has been experiencing a resurgence in popularity over the last three-to-five years and films like “Perspective” are a big reason why. From the mind of Bree Mills, XBIZ’s 2020 Feature Movie Director of the Year winner, “Perspective” engages honestly with subject matter that is real, relevant and at times quite uncomfortable. I found myself on more than one occasion shuddering with waves of emotions that included anger, frustration, empathy and pity among others. This movie speaks truth to the ideas of toxic masculinity, powerlessness and abuse, while remembering to weave scalding sex into the recipe, because at the end of the day, it’s porn too. This movie is a perfect example of how adult entertainment can be much more than stuffing holes.

An intensely dramatic movie like this doesn’t stick the landing if the cast isn’t on top of their game. Fortunately, Mills assembles two amazing leads to bring her story to life in the form of 2020 XBIZ Female and Male Performers of the Year Angela White and Seth Gamble, both of whom were nominees for Best Actress and Actor respectively, (with the latter earning the crown this year). Ironically, both Angela and Seth shined brightest when they were playing the victim role. Seth is believably hopeless and despondent while Angela is painfully terrified and broken. It was genuinely hard to watch Jennifer cower and beg whenever Daniel stalked towards her. I believe anyone who has ever experienced this type of situation will feel seen through Angela’s performance. Conversely, watching Daniel crumble under the weight of Jennifer’s betrayal was equally painful. There’s a moment when Daniel is sitting in his car and all of his pain and rage explodes from him in a guttural howl of despair that really hurt.

I also want to give credit to Bree Mills for crafting the movie within the concept of such a cool idea. It’s basically two movies from different points of view, combined into a single experience. The tonal shift requires the audience to suspend their disbelief as there is no real transition in the narrative, but the story is compelling enough to make that suspension easy. This could have easily been a movie and a sequel (which is something I’ve always though would be fun to explore) and I was really happy to see someone turn this concept into a full feature. There’s a ton of imagery messaging here (pay attention to the red lighting throughout) and there’s some good music that enhances the film’s different moods and emotional draws as well. Basically, this movie is great on every available level.

The sex in this movie is just as fantastic as the plot. The first time we see Daniel and Jennifer together it is passionate and sensual. The couple is happy and focused on pleasing each other which makes for a wonderfully intimate experience. The way they cradle each other during the sex is so connective and the entire mood is much more akin to watching two people make love rather than watching two people have sex. The room is brightly lit, which matches the brightness the couple exhibits for each other. What a wonderfully heartwarming start. In stark contrast, when Jennifer and Trevor (Codey Steele) get together, it’s much more fucking than lovemaking. Angela is much more aggressive and wanton and Trevor isn’t nearly as gentle with her as Daniel was. The way Jennifer looks at the camera is a nice double entendre; she’s looking at Daniel with her condemning eyes, but she’s also looking at the viewer and inviting us into our own fantasy. Trevor gives Jennifer a relentless pounding bathed in red illumination that creates a devilish mood to close the action. Putting the two scenes up against each other so quickly was a great choice by Mills.

Daniel eventually hooks up with a woman in a bar played by Alina Lopez and this is such a perfect scene execution because rather than play out as a simple sex scene, it furthers the plot by putting the audience inside Daniel’s head as he’s fucking Alina. He doesn’t even see her, he only sees a condescending, taunting Jennifer, which infuriates him. It’s a dual scene with Seth fucking both Angela and Alina, but narratively it’s a look into the anguish and twisting of Daniel’s psyche. He’s aggressive and angry and mentally breaking in front of the viewer’s eyes, while Jennifer is cold and heartless and Alina is obliviously horny and satisfied. The climax is shocking and jarring and perfectly captures the mood. Excellent work.

We get a very nice orgy that features a bevy of top shelf performers including Angela, Gianna Dior, Whitney Wright, Abigail Mac, Isaiah Maxwell and Michael Vegas. This is definitely the busiest scene in the movie and it showcases Whitney’s impressive flexibility. Everyone stays engaged and the ladies really do look wonderful as they pass the two cocks around like sluts. Angela especially gives off a very strong “use me” vibe throughout the encounter and everyone obliges her unspoken request.

Jennifer and her close friend Lena have what is without a doubt the most sensual scene in the movie. It’s full of comfort and healing and is very well executed. Jennifer is so broken at this point in the film and Lena’s willingness to be gentle with her and communicate with her through every step of their sex brings Jennifer to a point where she regains her agency and finally feels safe enough to relax. Because of the story being told, this is much more than a girl/girl scene, this is an emotionally uplifting, empowering moment for the character of Jennifer.

The sex concludes with a strikingly contrasting encounter between Daniel and Jennifer in regards to Jennifer’s liberating experience with Lena. Bree Mills, Angela White and Seth Gamble all take a real life chance here with this scene. Narratively it fits perfectly, but on a social, emotional and mental level, to be truthful, it is hard to watch. Let me be clear, these are performers operating with full agency and consent. They are playing roles in a fictional story. That said, their roles are going to strike a very real chord with some viewers and I feel it is my duty as a reviewer to tell the audience the truth in regards to what I see. This scene is about sex without consent and everyone involved does a masterful job of conveying that situation. They all deserve applause for being brave enough to broach such a polarizing subject in this graphic medium, and I believe the professionalism required to put on such a compelling performance should be recognized.

This was a fantastic movie. Bree Mills delivers on every level, Angela White is a bona fide star and Seth Gamble has developed a versatility that rivals any male talent working today. This movie is bold and unapologetic and I want more directors to take chances like this and tell stories like this and incorporate sex into their narratives like this. As a fan of feature porn, I’m hoping 2020 delivers more films like this because this is when porn is at it’s strongest.