When Will I Be Loved (2004) intrigued me from the beginning because I've always liked Neve Campbell (Party of Five), and because the first cut of the film trailer was banned by the MPAA—usually a sign of an interesting film.

This film, directed by James Toback, is a new take on the classic story of the stunning and seductive Black Widow. Vera Barrie (Campbell) is a gorgeous twentysomething woman who at the outset seems to be nothing more than a rich dilettante, a spoiled daddy's girl with more money than brains who spends her days listening to classical music, wandering Central Park, and painting in her upscale Manhattan loft. Vera's boyfriend Ford Welles (Frederick Weller) is your basic slimy hustler.

Most of the film flips back and forth between Vera and Fred and their respective sexual and financial dalliances. Painting both with broad stereotypical strokes, the film explores their relationships with sex, money, and each other. As the film progresses, they both become involved with a rich Italian media mogul, Count Tommaso Lupo, (played by The Soprano's "Uncle Junior," Dominic Chianese), to whom Ford eventually tries to pimp Vera out. When Vera catches on to what's happening, however, she turns the tables on both men in a way that is reminiscent of her role in Wild Things.

From the various people that Vera meets—including her female lover Joelle (Joelle Carter), with whom she has a sexy, videotaped romp—it's obvious that Vera is a young woman with a voracious sexual appetite, and an eye for pretty regardless of the gender.

Campbell delivers a strong and interesting performance; we've never seen her in quite such a racy and adult role. It's the first film that Neve has agreed to appear in sans clothing, and I'd have to agree with her reasoning that it's an important part of telling this particular story of power, sex, and money, and how men and women differ in their viewpoints.

Although this is not a lesbian movie, the lesbian sex (indeed, all of the sex) in this film is hot, sexy, and very integral in the telling of Vera's story. The other players (and I use this term literally) in the film seem to be caricatures at times, which I found to be distracting, and the story is a bit slow in some places.

Overall, however, When Will I Be Loved is a great film for Neve Campbell, taking her beyond the youthful roles that she has been most associated with, and an entertaining hour-and-a-half for fans of modern noir.