Soft Places (1978) User Reviews

The recurrent morbidity

[MartinOaks · 5/10 · 30 October 2023]

A very recurring argument in the pornographic fantasies of filmmakers and consumers in the sector is the subjection of women to certain acts with which they are not comfortable. And the paradigm manifests itself with Soft Places, where the deceased abusive husband of a cold and asexual woman has left a will recorded in which he forces his widow to find the sexuality that she never showed with him. If Monique (an elegant and delicious Annette Haven) agrees to submit to rules of humiliation and submission by alternating with strangers, thus culminating her supposed sexual maturity, she will inherit her entire fortune.

Although the approach is interesting and very morbid, the problem is that here the writer and director have made a mess and, what begins in a very exciting way, turns into a stupidity that culminates in a bar in the underworld, where Monique should have forcedly exposed to unpleasant people instead of limiting themselves to simple flirting and some insipid touching.

And it's a shame, because the story is fun, well presented, offers an interesting narrative rhythm and has undeniable pornographic potential, but in Soft Places it has been ruined by not providing a little more fantasy and not having exploited (in a good way) meaning of the term) the modest and innocent image of a Haven in the fullness of her extraordinary physical presence.

Don't Judge a Book by Its Cover !

[Nodriesrespect · 8/10 · 27 September 2007]

Misleadingly labeled with a sappy title that makes it sound like run of the mill couples porno pap, this unfairly overlooked Annette Haven vehicle turns out to be one wild card of a movie. In its own unpredictable way, it proves as shocking as EXPENSIVE TASTES, the notorious rape 'n' revenge flick by the same team of producer William Dancer and director Joanna Williams (posing here as "Wray Hamilton"), both naturally of LITTLE GIRLS BLUE fame.

The always stunning Haven stars as wealthy widow Monique, whose less than adoring husband has set her a number of seriously twisted sexual tasks to fulfill if she is to touch her inheritance, foreshadowing Ginger Lynn's PLEASURE HUNT misadventures. Believing his wife both frigid and a gold-digger, the sick bastard seems bent on revenge, even if only exacted from beyond the grave under supervision by attorney Paul Thomas. Prim 'n' proper Monique finds herself forced to commit all sorts of semi-degrading acts for profit as well as unexpected fun. These include public masturbation in the back of a cab, Sapphic explorations at the massage parlor and dual hand jobs in a sordid singles bar.

The most surprising thing is the generous amount of sleaze surrounding dainty Annette's comparatively tasteful exploits. Monique's mild mauling of an Oriental masseuse (China Leigh, the younger of Sam Weston's CHINA SISTERS) is preceded by a passionate tryst between a bearded bloke and a very pretty transsexual with no stinting on the mutual oral gratification. Even more astounding is the elaborate singles bar sequence filled with (way too) real looking extras sucking and fornicating their desperate little hearts out which generates some sort of appalled fascination akin to rubbernecking on the freeway. Watch for Dancer regular Chrissy Petersen providing some more conventional carnality with John Seeman during this extended tableau that's almost Goya-esquire in its surreal perversity. Ending sees a liberated Annette in bed with P.T., a frequent screen partner of hers, finding new and exciting ways to deal with her husband's ashes ! Monumentally strange plot twists aside, this stands as one of the more artistically shot porno features of the '70s. Rich vibrant colors and striking compositions abound, courtesy of veteran camera man Ron Garcia, hiding behind the "Rahn Vickery" moniker as was his custom on hardcore endeavors. As a result, glamour puss Annette looks her absolute best in every single frame, to say nothing of her picture perfect rack, as eye-popping a pendulous pair as has ever swung its way across the blue screen.