Victoria Eagger in Man of Flowers (1983)
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Review
Man of Flowers (1983) is an Australian art film that I am not sure I can adequately describe. It concerns a rich man, Charles Bremmer (Norman Kaye), who is either impotent or has premature ejaculation (the film was a little ambiguous on that point). All beauty for him is sexual, be it music, flowers, painting, sculpture, or naked women. He acquires it, and looks at it, but doesn't touch. We understand the basis of his problem through his nightmares, where we clearly see his Oedipus complex, as he sees his mother, Hilary Kelly, undressing. He still writes daily letters to his dead mother. Once a week, he brings in an artists model, Alyson Best, to do a slow undress for him. She lives with an abusive modern artists, and models for art classes. As her drug using boyfriend becomes more abusive and demanding, she moves in with her lesbian friend, Sarah Walker, and the two of them become intimate.
She sends Bremmer to buy some of her boyfriend's paintings, and he catches the boyfriend with a naked woman, Victoria Eagger. I won't ruin the very black surprise ending. Bremmer clearly has mental problems, and sees a shrink, but he is also kind, and a lover of beauty. I believe the film is addressing accepted norms of sexuality, nudity, proper behavior and art. There is certainly no shortage of nudity.
I suppose the proper score for this is C. Arthouse films are supposed to be new and different, and this one is definitely that. The film shows, rather than tells, and lets you reach conclusions if you want to. The nudity is excellent. Still, this is not a film for everyone.
Nudity Report: Alyson Best shows all three Bs including lovely full frontal, as do Sarah Walker and Victoria Eagger. Hilary Kelly shows full frontal in the very grainy and washed out dream images, supposed to be like old home movies.
IMDb Summary: IMDB readers score it 7.4 of 10, but I suspect it is the sort of film you won't see unless you are biased toward daring, unusual art films.
Written by: Tuna …courtesy of Scoopy.net