The Christian Science Monitor calls it “a perverse psychological drama about able-bodied people who yearn to become disabled,” and gives it a C-. Premiere gives it three stars, and calls it “a dark romance.” The Los Angeles Times says it’s “unexpectedly moving.”

Quid Pro Quo, in limited release, is the story of a public radio reporter who is investigating a story on able-bodied people who seek identity and eroticism in amputation, paralysis and paraplegia. The film by writer-director Carlos Brooks stars Nick Stahl as the reporter, who is himself partially paralyzed, and Vera Farmiga as his love interest, an attractive blonde who confesses her overwhelming desire to spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair.

From the New York Times review by Stephen Holden:

Ms. Farmiga’s performance might be described as radioactive — her character, in which she uncovers many conflicting emotional layers, has a glow-in-the-dark phosphorescence that is sexy, but also scary. In Fiona’s mind the medical paraphernalia of paralysis has an erotic power similar to that of the accoutrements of sadomasochism. An elaborate brace, for instance, is the ne plus ultra in sexy lingerie.

After spinning out metaphors of paralysis and eroticism in its characters’ feverish imaginations, “Quid Pro Quo” decides at the last minute that it has to explain everything. The moment it pulls away from the fantastic, it lands with a thud.

The movie trailer is here.

In an interview with Premiere, actress Vera Farmiga says she based her performance on her reading on the Internet about people with “Body Integrity Identity Disorder”, which she says is authentic.

This entry was posted on Monday, June 16th, 2008 at 3:45 pm and is filed under NOT2BEMISSED, body image, limb loss, movies, sexuality. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.  Email This Post