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A first look at Nicole Conn’s “A Perfect Ending”

A first look at Nicole Conn’s A Perfect Ending

Director/writer Nicole Conn has been making movies about her passions for many years. We know her best for Claire of the Moon (1992) which, love it or loathe it, was a pioneering effort in lesbian film. In 2010, Conn and her life partner Marina Rice Bader released Elena Undone, which was the best-selling lesbian film that year and boasted the longest onscreen kiss in cinema history at three minutes, 24 seconds. Not a bad way to get into the record books. Now, after a successful Kickstarter campaign that raised more than $50,000 for production, the couple’s Soul Kiss Films is about to release its next lesbian-themed movie, A Perfect Ending. The movie stars Barbara Niven as Rebecca, a 50-ish married socialite whose life is not exactly romantically or sexually satisfying. Her best friends set her up with high-dollar escort Paris (out actor/model Jessica Clark) and “what starts as a comedy of errors ends up a uniquely erotic journey.”

Here’s a sneak peek. (Nothing explicit happens in the clip, but you probably don’t want to watch at work because your monitor might melt when Paris starts to seduce Rebecca.) We know Clark pretty well around here, since she and her wife Lacey Stone waxed eloquent about their life and love in the video series Lesbian Love. I think having so much tank top goodness in one couple is illegal in some states.

Niven may be a familiar face if you’ve spent a few moody Sunday afternoons watching Lifetime Movie Channel – she’s been in scores of TV movies and is well known as a character actress. (Remember the Christy and Billie storyline from Charmed? Niven played their mom.) I really want to like A Perfect Ending. Even though the “rich older person falls for young hot hooker” story is pretty cliché, I can live with it in order to get a well-done sexy lesbian movie written and produced by lesbians. Plus, I can’t think of another women’s film that features a May/December lesbian romance and, as a December, I’m all for the idea.

But the last minute or so of this video gives me pause. Take a look. Because I care about you, dear cupcakes, I watched that last part over and over. But it didn’t really have the affect on me that I’m certain was intended. Instead of getting into the heat between Rebecca and Paris (and I can’t deny the chemistry), I felt like an objective observer. And nothing should feel objective about observing two women undressing for fun and games.

I think the problem is the music. While The Hunger proves that a seduction scene set to opera can be quite compelling, I’m not sure it works here. The mood feels more hesitant and awkward than the music. The soundtrack seems forced, almost like one of those cheesy awful Cinemax at Night lesbian sex movies. Not that I’ve ever watched one.

I have no idea if what we see here is from the final version of A Perfect Ending. This may be pre-editing, pre-sound mixing, pre-everything. And of course, I will support this film by going to see it regardless. But as of right now, I’m looking forward to it a little less.

What do you think? Am I over reacting? What feelings do you feel when you watch these clips? Are you up for A Perfect Ending?

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