by Joey Guerra
Entertainment Editor
When Hollywood attempts to explore women's sexuality, the product is, more often than not, a T&A goose-fest. Getting deep inside the psyche of women usually amounts to spectacles like Showgirls or Striptease (which, when considered on the merit of midnight-movie fodder, could be called camp classics).
With Female Perversions, director and co-writer (along with Julie Herbert) Susan Streitfeld attempts to take a decidedly more literal approach and comes up with a compelling, if eventually flawed, film. Female Perversions definitely holds your interest with a highly original storyline, but the ending is ultimately a cop-out, meandering hopelessly between here and there.
The film's protagonist is Eve Stephens (Tilda Swinton), a highly successful, aggressive lawyer who is in the running for a position as a judge. Eve is bright, determined and highly motivated, but she has a tragic flaw: her unhealthy obsession with her image.
From the start, it seems as if Eve's preoccupations with clothes and lipstick are normal, everyday behavior, but these seemingly routine actions are signs of a woman struggling to find her own identity in a male-dominated world. Eve gets what she wants, but despite that, she sees herself as unable to measure up to the socially accepted female image: smart, sexy, beautiful - but first and foremost a woman.
On the fringe are extreme versions of Eve's character, each struggling with her own issues. Eve's sister, Madelyn (Amy Madigan), is a highly intelligent Ph.D. candidate who also happens to be a kleptomaniac. She steals lingerie, lipstick and scarves, only to toss them out after the deed is done.
Emma (Laila Robins), Madelyn's roommate, is a submissive single woman, Annunciata (Frances Fisher) is a voluptuous, older woman who gives lessons on how to be truly "feminine," and Ed (Dale Shuger) is a 13-year-old tomboy who is obsessed with hiding all signs of femininity in her growing body.
Finally, there is Renee (Karen Sillas), a successful new doctor in Eve's building with whom she begins a sexual relationship.
Through the intermingling of so many prototypes and passions, director Streitfeld creates a sensual world of women obsessed with living up to the male ideal, each locked into a certain behavior, or "perversion," which will continue endlessly until someone makes a change. Eve is after a supermodel appearance, Maddy's anxieties are quelled by stealing, Ed cuts her skin to stop the woman inside from coming out. Streitfeld explores these seemingly bizarre behaviors brought on by a so-called normal society.
As the film's central figure, Swinton is hypnotic. Her sharp features and self-awareness make Eve an endlessly compelling figure, much like the gender-bending title character Swinton played in Orlando.
The supporting cast is also notable, including Sillas, who emits a slick coolness as Eve's lover, Madigan, whose contained neuroses reach a breaking point, and Fisher, whose seductive moves and speech make a big impression with an otherwise minor character.
The boldness and uniqueness of the screenplay, which is based on a book by Dr. Louise J. Kaplan, is further enhanced by striking imagery and symbolism presented throughout the film. Black backdrops hold dreams, hopes and nightmares, all furthering the pressure of these women through their unconsciousness.
It is ultimately disappointing, then, that the film's ending almost deflates the entire episode. While it all is supposed to be a cathartic experience, the unsatisfying finale is worse than if the whole thing were just a dream itself. Streifeld has built layer upon layer of high-minded scenarios with definite points and ideas, but the film's finale feels like a leaf twisting in the wind.
Still, you should see Female Perversions for its ideas and striking imagery, and for Swinton's magnetic performance. Who knows, you just might think twice about putting that lipstick on one too many times.