Sisid (2001)

A mature Pinoy sex drama with a labyrinthine plot, Sisid (2001) is a filmic jigsaw puzzle, with storylines that diverge and reconnect in mysterious ways. The central narrative involves a callous videographer (Raymond Bagatsing) who beds glamorous underwater stripper Lily (Assunta de Rossi). Meanwhile, ex-convict Fidel (Rodel Velayo) insists that he and Lily were lovers in a previous life, and he spins an elaborate yarn to try to get the dancer to believe it. An uncharacteristically artsy outing for director Joey Romero, the film’s nevertheless spiced with plenty of sex, including a couple of mesmerizing skin reveals by de Rossi. The actress’s scenes caused quite a stir in her native Philippines, helping to move Sisid to the top of the box-office heap.