On W List of Movie Reviews
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Whore (1991)
Rate:
8
Viewed:
2/26
2/26:
Don't scoff at blatant titles before dismissing them so casually.
After seeing who directed Whore, I hoped Ken Russell wouldn't waste my time by going crazy or
sabotaging it midway, but he surprisingly made a very good film, beating his best:
The Devils. He said, "One day in London, [David] Hines literally
jumped out of his cab and stopped me in the street to ask if I would write the screenplay and make it
into a film. I read the play and agreed to have a go."
There's a ton of truth in what Theresa Russell's character said. I kept thinking back to Andy Milligan's film
The Girls of 42nd Street because of Laura Cannon and Neil
Flanagan about how things were in a depressing manner, putting Pretty Woman
to shame. Many hookers actually despise that movie because they know somebody in the mold of Richard Gere will
never show up, no matter how many Johns there have been. Therefore, they should relate to the other two
aforementioned films quite well.
Theresa Russell gives a terrific performance as Liz. I understand the film is meant to be a satire, but a lot
of situations are pretty dark and accurate of what prostitutes go through on a daily basis. The most
memorable scene is Liz displaying a lack of sophistication at the French restaurant which
explains why she ended up hooking. In the meantime, it's shocking to see John Diehl puking on the side,
causing me to say, "He quit Miami Vice for this?"
All in all, like The Girls of 42nd Street, Whore is
the antithesis of Pretty Woman.