Pandora's Box (2002)

I haven't enjoyed an erotic thriller since "Wild Things". The story, excellent! Plot? Wonderful! Film recording was a little grainy but then this was an independent film with a very low budget! I truly enjoyed the film!!

Metaphorically speaking, what begins as a tennis match abruptly becomes a one hour and forty-four minute game of chess (pronounced `chest'). But, perhaps that's what's wrong with this production. It's about forty-four minutes and one pair of breasts too much. Unfortunately, just like its predecessor (Trois), what coulda, shoulda, and woulda falls by the wayside of an underdeveloped script that's punctuated by lackluster acting.Exceptional casting, however, sometimes redeems poor writing. But, in the case of `Trois 2,' the principals are written into such a `small world,' the logic inherent in each character action has to be questioned. At least by all who see beyond the T&A.Personally, I tried very hard to stay intrigued by the visual affect of Black actors making moves in something other than a slapstick chitlin' circuit genre. But, here, the creative team gave new meaning to something other than something being old, borrowed, and blue. Unquestionably, there's `sampling' from `Jagged Edge' (the movie), `Consenting Adults,' `Basic Instinct,' and `Body Heat.'As a matter of fact, `Body Heat's' William Hurt and `Trois 2's' Chrystale Wilson/Tyson Beckford even share the same last name characterwise. Duh! And, just why did Kristoff `Young and the Restless' St. John's character have to be named `Victor?' Duh!But, then and again, when considering the `monstrous' performance of a certain other `tit-illating' actress who wound up becoming an award recipient, indeed, Pandora's box is symbolically wide open for who knows what.

After the on slaught of the summer blockbuster bull of films,there is one film that is very entertaining and for once a breath of fresh air that is strictly for adults from the director who brought us "TROIS". However,this one is on the same wavelength as Stanley Kubrick's EYES WIDE SHUT,but it goes even further into the abyss of erotica--and for once this is one film that shows characters of color engaging in sexual scenes. However,the sexual scenes that are displayed here are not for the faint of heart---since this is a movie that is STRICTLY ADULT--so leave the kids and teenagers at home!Its amazing that it was very good,since you have a brillant cast of performers here including superb leads by Monica Calhoun,whom gives the performance of her acting career(which is something this actress would never do since she always plays the second banana in feature films,but wanted to take her acting to the next level in a leading role)as a psychiarist who goes into a web of sexual intrigue,money,and murder from which there is no way out. However,the movie was very good and its playing in limited release in selected cities across the country(which opened nationwide September 27th,2002)but its a movie that should not be missed by a long shot,but remember this is not for the faint of heart!This is also a rare opportunity to catch this director's current project which will be more intriguing and even darker than his previous efforts since we need more of that are catered to adult black audiences and also to bring a new format of black cimema to the next level. Kudos to you, Mr. Rob Hardy!

PANDORA'S BOX (2002)Rating: 3 1/2 out of 4 starsGot nothing to do lately? Thinking of seeing a movie, but are having second thoughts because summer blockbusters make you ill? Do you wish there was a movie this summer that you found to be truly sexy and intriguing? Well, now you can relax. The moment you've been waiting for has arrived. Prepare yourself. WARNING: What you're about to experience is absolutely stimulating, and not for the faint at heart. You'll never be the same again after you've seen what's inside PANDORA'S BOX.Director Rob Hardy, whose previous film, TROIS, made a well-earned 1.2 million at the box office, said that he wanted to make a film that had something no one had ever seen before. Without giving too much away about the plot, Hardy describes his latest effort as an erotic FATAL ATTRACTION-style thriller that brings something new to the genre - "actors of color engaged in romantic scenes."From the opening scene right down to the climatic finish, Hardy's film grabs the attention of its audience, locking everyone's eyes to the screen by way of its intense eroticism and twisted plotline.In PANDORA'S BOX, Monica Calhoun plays Mia, a beautiful psychiatrist confined to a loveless marriage to her neglectful husband, Victor (Kristoff St. John). She seems quite unhappy at home, so she works as many hours as she possibly can. Spending more time at her job than she spends sitting at home, Mia becomes wrapped up in the mind of a new patient of hers, Tammy (Chrystale Wilson), whose been having a lot of trouble lately coping with her husband's murder. Tammy tells Mia about where they met, a place called "Pandora's Box", and how it transformed her into a totally different person. Because she seems to want to help Mia to understand her better, Tammy tells her doctor friend that if she wishes to understand why her life has changed, then she'd have to have been there and experienced it for herself.Not quite certain of what to expect, but curious nonetheless, Mia decides to check the place out. Upon entering, she is opened to a world of self-gratification, sexual liberation, and decadence as its existence "taps into the most primitive and passionate aspects of her otherwise controlled personality" (Rainforest Productions), revealing hidden urges that she never even knew she had. When she meets handsome stranger Hampton Hines (Michael Jai White), she forgets all about being faithful to her husband and starts a dangerous affair with him. In doing so, she releases the evils that were hidden beneath the surface, causing herself to become entangled in a plot against her that includes blackmail, murder, and deception. All that Mia has now is the hope that it's not too late for her to rescue herself from her patient's dangerous life.What sets this film apart from other thrillers of its kind is that it isn't some bogus rip-off with cardboard actors, sloppy dialogue, bad cinematography, and a predictable storyline. Instead, it goes farther than any of its predecessors have been able to go, with sex scenes that push the envelope more than any other erotic thriller out there. In other words, this is kind of film that Stanley Kubrick wanted EYES WIDE SHUT to be. Too bad we have the MPAA to blame for that.