billed as a " feminist sex fantasy " , this spirited , imaginative and thoroughly engaging film by the award - winning canadian director cynthia roberts , is destined for extreme reactions .
camille paglia enthusiasts will no doubt champion this heart - felt tale of the title character bubbles galore ( nina hartley ) , a porn - actress - turned - porn - producer who faces an uphill battle in her quest for sexual and economic independence .
however , those in the andrea dworkin camp , will no doubt loathe the film 's decidedly pro - porn stance .
political considerations aside , however , this is a delightful lesbian love story as the film takes us on a whirlwind tour of bubbles ' romantic entanglements with a naive and virginal young porn starlet dory drawers ( shauny sexton ) .
in the backdrop , however is bubbles ' loyal assistant vivian klitorsky ( tracy wright ) who pines longingly for the affections of her bubbly boss .
this femme - butch - femme triangle is what provides the film with considerable humanity * and * sensuality .
in addition to the romantic aspects of the story , bubbles is being stalked and terrorized by her ex - boyfriend godfrey montana ( daniel macivor ) , a slimy porn mogul who wishes to make her life as miserable as he can possibly make it .
when his plans to sabotage her latest film fall through , he snaps and psychotically decides to kill her .
these proceedings are presided over by a most heavenly presence .
god herself - yes , in the world of this film , god , is most definitely a " her " - and a chorus of undulating , scantily - clad angels , have their most watchful and lustful eyes on the events as they unfold ,
adding a lovely fantasy element to this frothy concoction .
this bright , colourful and deliriously sexy film is chock - full of great performances . making her dramatic debut , after appearing in over 300 triple x adult films , porn star nina hartley takes command of her role with considerable assurance and a screen presence which puts many other contemporary ' straight ' actresses to shame .
hartley has overwhelming star power , and one wonders why other non - triple - x producers have n't used her bountiful talents .
it is also interesting to note that hartley appears in the recent release of " boogie nights " , a film which takes a far more traditional doom - and - gloom approach to the porn industry . making a cameo appearance in the role of god , former porn actress annie sprinkle ,
a true artist in her own right - gives the entire film an earthy , sensual glow and certainly solidifies and , by her very appearance
, downright justifies the themes of the movie .
the other performances are equally solid .
daniel macivor appropriately chews up the scenery as the villainous godfrey and tracy wright lends able support with her complex role .
shauny sexton , an erotic dancer and pin - up model , makes an impressive screen debut .
overall , bubbles galore is a film which wears its politics on its sleeve and very proudly indeed .
at one point , the title character declares that " instead of trying to save women from the sex trade , we should be working to ensure that the sex trade is a safe place for women to work " .
the direction by cynthia roberts is daring and subversive .
roberts is not afraid to plunge the otherwise straight - ahead and simple narrative into extended and extremely avant - garde montage sequences .
the love scenes between the women are especially beautiful .
the musical score by nicholas stirling blends cool jazz and lounge stylings , while the skilful cinematography by harald bachmann terrifically captures a blend of garish 70 's porn and psychedelia .
amazingly , this film appears to have received a good deal of its funding from a variety of canadian government cultural agencies .
this speaks volumes towards the importance of state funding for culture , as one can not imagine such an entertaining , original and vital film being made in a traditional setting where conformity and formula rule the day .
bubbles galore seems to be making the film festival rounds and does not , at present , appear to have any traditional distribution in place , so keep your eye on the alternative film listings for this one .
it 's funny , sexy and subversive .
and it should n't be missed .
Output: P