Brilliantlove (2010) Online

"The Orgasm Diaries" (originally "BrilliantLove" - a far better title) is an unusual British Indie film combining explicit eroticism with a fairy tale narrative. Manchester and Noon are a young couple deliriously in love and ravenous for each others' bodies. Supposedly he is some kind of slacker freelance photographer and she a taxidermist, but neither appear to have any employment. They live in a scruffy shed located in a field, where they roll around in lubricious, carnal couplings most of the day and into the night. Manchester habitually records their love-making with his Instamatic camera - until one fateful evening when he forgets his newly printed photos in a pub where they are discovered by a trader in erotica. This businessman tracks down the lustful photographer in order to tempt him with gallery exhibits and worldly success - which subsequently leads to a schism between the lovers when Manchester inexplicably fails to inform Noon that their intimate moments are destined to become merchandise to tickle the fancy of art connoisseurs.

The film is somewhat flawed by the way director Ashley Horner chooses to tell his story. He gives it the flavor of a stylized fable, and makes little effort to convince his audience of its reality. Manchester and Noon are portrayed as naive children of nature, and the art world as a zone of sinister decadence. Such stark contrasts undermine belief in the lovers' desolation at their estrangement - which is a great pity since Liam Browne and Nancy Trotter Landry give intense, uninhibited performances as the besotted pair. In particular, Landry's portrayal of Noon is an authentic and sensitive depiction of an earthy young woman made radiantly beautiful by sexual desire. The film has many sophisticated and original passages, but the casual oversights in plotting and character result in the impression that the director missed an opportunity to produce something truly extraordinary.

The great love story with full-on eroticism has never sounded like the sort of the thing the British do at all somehow, much less do it well. Director Ashley Horner set out to put that right.

His protagonists are two freewheeling youngsters that are 'In Love.' So they spend most of the 97 minutes of this film 'Having Sex.' Manchester is a sort of would-be photographer and Noon is a self-confessed taxidermist. Their sources of income, if any, are not particularly clear. But such details could after all complicate the heady sense of falling for someone you have heady sex with. Especially at an age where hormones are high and responsibilities are low. Things can get complicated. Such as when Manchester leaves his lovingly lensed erotic photos in the local boozer. And they are picked up by someone with a slightly more commercial eye for such things.

The good things about Brilliant Love are quite a few. Seeing the two leads with all their clothes on for the Q & A at least reassured me that they did an decent job as actors, and weren't just a couple of hippie-types that had wandered onto the set. The film is shot in a very warm and natural way without being cheesy. There is none of the attempt to desexualise (the quite graphic) sex as is so common in art-house movies which want to prove they are 'high brow.' People in Brilliant Love are meant to look warm and sexy in a nice way, and actually achieve that. There's plenty of natural, inoffensive full-frontal nudity along the lines of two people who might wander around half naked anyway, and happen to be young, and happen to be physically good-looking. No penetration close-ups in case you are getting hot under the collar. It doesn't seem to be pushing UK censorship boundaries, for instance, and so doesn't have particularly to wave a flag that justifies it in the name of art. The only thing a stuffy person might object to on the nudity count would probably be the sheer quantity. The filmmakers should also be complimented on turning out a decent job on what was probably a non-existent budget. The script is as natural as the acting, and it generally has all the warm fuzzies that go with saving small furry animals from a night in the cold.

But if Brilliant Love succeeds in making a fully British erotic love story, it doesn't quite manage to make a great one. Except for competent demonstration of technique, one might question whether it was worth making at all. It is hard to care about the characters that deeply, or whether they are in love. 'Nice-ish kids' is about the best you could say. There is no perceptible intellectual connection – in fact both of them seem a Rizla paper short of a spliff at times – and any emotional connection seems based more on the devotion arising from good physical chemistry and easy-going natures. Such shortcomings alone would not ruin a film, and indeed the last ten to fifteen minutes manage to salvage much of the dramatic tension. But the story is weak. Grand end statements try to assert the seriousness of the affair – sadly, using standard three-part formula of, love, break-up, and reunion. Overall, Brilliant Love is just a little bit too inoffensive to really get our teeth into.

What particularly worries me is that it is being held up as a very British offering. Films that are different and have something to say in some way need to stand out more. At least 9 Songs divided opinion. Not that sexy, but it had shock value and an unusual, segmented composition which I personally rather liked. Erotic and explicit love stories do seem to come from abroad. Whether major hitters such as Breillat's beautiful Brief Crossing, the wistful hedonism of The Dreamers, the aesthetically engaging romance and eroticism of Sex and Lucia, the controversial love-tragedies like Irreversible or Antichrist, Cronenberg's fetish love (Crash), or the simple shock-value graphic love in The Brown Bunny. All these films, love them or hate them, are worthy of serious attention. Sadly the harshest thing one might say about Brilliant Love is that it is just . . . well . . . 'quite nice.' The ideal market might be the age-group where people are losing virginity with weekend pocket-money at the cinema. Getting swept up in waves of strong first emotion – or infatuation – and definitely passion. Where they might strongly identify with the characters. Ironically, the ubiquitous soft-porn warmth of 'erotic love' so constantly on screen will possibly classify this film as 'unsuitable' until they are of an age to have refined their tastes or cooled their ardour. There again, a lot of people in the audience seemed to quite like it. Maybe I'm just an old fuddy-duddy . . .

I'd never heard of Brilliantlove, the production company, director or any of the cast and so on. Discovered it when browsing through a mate's eclectic DVD collection... He said, "watch this, it's a little gem" - And I concur - I was pleasantly surprised. (I'm an action movie with explosions and CGI overload lover!) I won't go into the plot, other reviewers do a good job of this. Just want to say, I thoroughly enjoyed this little film - a low-budget British production with high production values: it looks nice, the garage is great in it's shabbiness, the cast are wonderful esp. the two leads who have genuine on-screen chemistry and are totally believable as a couple.

I liked the quirky-yet-sweet Noon with her wonderfully random hair styles and chipped nails with the floppy-haired, bendy-bodied Manchester. The couple are happy and funny: they laugh, they love, they are mad and random, yet endearing and vulnerable.

I am (like another reviewer) rather taken aback at the low score for this film, as not only has every review I've read has been positive, but it deserves better. A simply told drama with realism and quality - and love behind the camera - it is a winner for me. Especially when unexpected and without hype. I haven't watched a more refreshing, enjoyable, well-put-together little film in... well, I can't remember when!

No money, fame, society or parents can tear down this brilliant and obsessive love. Raw, uninhibited, courageous and original "Brilliant Love" is what its title claims to be, a shining film by real artists. What makes these two young and horny lovers want each other so passionately is what most of people are missing: imaginative and unconstrained attitude towards life, sex and friendship. To watch them LIVE carefree, it lifts you, makes you want to unbound yourself from the claws of consumerism and society's conventions.

There is nothing conventional in this film, it is more than love, and there is an attraction beyond love, almost sexual dependence, which is so rare between people.

Body fluids, animals, sex and attitudes are part of this well made film by a group of young and talented artists. Manchester and Noon, brilliantly played by Liam Brownie and Nancy Trotter Landry are a delight to watch, and to get pleasure from. Sex films, not porno films, are pretty difficult to make. But here, the balance of nakedness and the creative sexual acts are carefully and masterfully directed and edited. It could be easily called an ode to erotology, life, lovers and passion.

I was fortunate to be one of the first to see this at the EIFF press screening. I haven't felt a film speak so honestly before. Here we have two characters Manchester and Noon, tangled in a sexually fuelled and intense relationship. They both live for the moment and everything outside their world threatens their together-ness.

The film focuses heavily on racy, intimate scenes between the pair. The chemistry between the two is very believable, I especially enjoyed Noons character played by Nancy Trotter Landry. her angelic face catches every single moment of emotion and you are sometimes taken aback at how filthy she is during the film. I also commend Liam Browne who plays Manchester for being brave enough to show his genitals whether urinating or being frozen cold. I haven't seen a film like this where a relationship is so thoroughly sexually explored.

The plot of the film is lacking slightly but I feel it is contrasts the mundane northern feel. Nevertheless very good acting and I was fixed to my sit throughout. This feels like the way British cinema should be going, bold, brash and modern.

My being is mystified about the tepid reception for this nice little film. In seeing a review that says it is just a contemporary view for today's explorers, I find a great fallacy. It is a struggle also of those left from the 'sixties' of freer loving, understanding some of the stresses of attraction, personal afflictions and distractions as well as rebelling against the mores of the time.

The sexuality is both erotic and struggling between desire and freedom. The actors are both much of many persons and dreams, if fleeting or denied. It is extreme at times, but not too. It reveals moments of drunken exuberance and drunken pain, but both are in harmony with deep emotionality, sensuality, creativity and sexuality.

With 'Dreamers' being also a favorite, another rare struggle of unfathomable desires played against situations of the moment, I am obviously partial to our sexual enticements, left over from a partially fulfilled life in the sixties. I knew these temptations, experiences, irrationalities and substance induced moments, when things were different. Beyond the erotics of the film, there are a lot of sensualities, both in the still pictures and in the well thought angles of some of the cinematography. This is far more than an excuse for porn, despite the pressured direction of the protagonist who took advantage of this beautifully erotic couple, and who tried to turn their simple erotic complexity into something less than personal.

I would recommend this even to conservatives to see that the angst that goes on in life is real. This is a movie about one of the struggles of humanity. Sex is good and how we go about it is personal, and should be able to be portrayed as a personal trip, which this film does. Whether male or female, you should find some identity and eroticism, no matter your background, present or what you would admit.

Most art movies fall over because of their pretentiousness. This one is bad because it is, well, bad. Incredibly badly made. It doesn't have enough plot to even aspire to being pretentious. Throw in some very weak performances and you have a craptacular movie.

The initial idea wasn't that original to start off, and reminded me of 9 Songs (for a few reasons...). However, 9 Songs had a reasonable plot, OK performances and some fantastic music. Not a great movie, but it was OK.

BrilliantLove, on the other hand, has nothing going for it. It just seems to drift throughout, with no point, unlikable characters and very lacklustre performances.

Avoid.

About 3/4 the way through the movie, Manchester is at an art opening featuring his photos of Noon. Noon, who was unaware that photos of their perfect romance were going to be made public for everyone to gawk at, storms out after slapping Manchester. Manchester reacts by becoming sloppy drunk, calling everyone's attention, spouting out a bunch of drunk, insulting, nonsense, then suggesting that everyone participate in an on-the-spot orgy. He starts it off by pulling down his pants and playing with himself. His audience reacts by applauding his every word and action, as if he's a fount of high minded creativity with a deep understanding of the meaning of life.

I feel as if Manchester represented this movie, and his audience represented its adoring critics. And I'm the lone person who found this movie to be not just a disappointment, but down right insulting.

I think much of it could've worked if only I cared about the characters, but I just didn't.