No sooner than landing her new job at a prestigious law firm of her choice, Emily Reed (Carré Otis) is whisked off to Rio de Janero to help close the deal on the acquisition of a hotel. There she meets a wealthy stranger, played by Mickey Rourke.
Now let’s be fair, erotic movies – especially those from the early 2000s – by their very nature are ridiculous trash with no real plot, zero character development and the climactic fuck you’ve been waiting the entire film for is always the most disappointing of all the sex scenes. That said, with its sensual saxophone led soundtrack along with the bluish tinge to its opening credits, Wild Orchid is under no illusions as to what it is.
As we twiddle our thumbs, waiting around for the next person to take their clothes off, it’s difficult to take any of the actors or the script seriously. Still, not all the dialogue is a complete loss: “From the moment I saw you I suddenly wanted you more than anything, or anyone I’ve ever wanted in my life.” The line, spoken by Bruce Greenwood’s character, Jerome McFarland, is intentionally unromantic and yet at the same time it unintentionally delivers a disarmingly poignant explanation on what it feels like to lust for something.
Carré Otis manages to present herself as delicate and innocent while her lines sound robotic and spoon-fed, putting one in mind of a nicer, daintier version of Paz de la Huerta. Although I’m sure that today’s audiences would compare Otis and her co-star Mickey Rourke, as well as the depiction of their odd relationship to that of Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey of the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy. Another pile of erotic bollocks.
Much akin to the Fifty Shades of Grey (2015) movie, Wild Orchid is very well made, with good acting talent somehow thrown into the mix. However, Orchid’s Latin American inspired soundtrack is far superior and much more fun.
LAST WORDS:
It doesn’t have Grey’s porn-for-bored-housewives reputation, so that’s one good thing. By comparison Wild Orchid has a greater sensual feel to it. It’s certainly 100 times sexier than all that red room tat. There’s really only one reason to watch an erotic movie, and at least this one doesn’t want to beat your arse black and blue, or stab you to death with an ice-pick!