The Monkey's Mask

Good erotic thriller is somewhat eroded by pretense
Based on the book by Dorothy Porter, THE MONKEY'S MASK is a watchable but also rather pretentious "erotic" mystery.
When a literature student Mickey (Abbie Cornish) goes missing, the girl's parents hire lesbian PI Jill Fitpatrick (Susie Porter- I'm not sure if she's any relation to the author) to try and locate their daughter. The only evidence of her last appearance is a videotape of Mickey reading a sexually explicit feminist poem, which will offend prudes, but which personally I found quite amusing. They're just words, after all.
To try and piece together the clues as to Mickey's whereabouts Jill interviews the girl's lecturer Diana (Kelly McGillis) who has actually been encouraging her students to write like that. I wish my teachers had been that cool. Pretty soon Diana becomes the prime suspect. However Jill finds herself attracted to Diana; who is a straight married woman, and soon the pair begin an elicit affair which puts the whole case in jeopardy.
This...

very erotic
frankly, I just wanted to see this film for its eroticism, which I heard was incredible. but the story is actually a pretty entertaining one, albeit slow at times. i expected little, got more than i thought, but still, this flick is an easy rental at best. those are my two cents....

Unusual detective work
There is definitely a detective suspense thriller within the elements found in The Monkey's Mask. The development of the detective's character - the realistic portrayal of a discontent woman often sidetracked from her goal - maintains an interesting path. The appearance of Kelly McGillis, holding on to a solid cinematic presence, is a familiar and interesting addition to the cast. Several heated scenes delve more deeply into the detective's life, but they don't jump too far from the film's theme, so they're not as gratuitous as many viewers may think. Awkward moments are intended occasionally and are truly awkward. It's an odd film, but interesting viewing.

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