When Will I Be Loved (2004)

Hollywood, according to the unconventional wisdom of sexpot superstar Sharon Stone, is terrified of any woman who has both a high IQ and a vagina. If her basic instinct is true, then all of Tinseltown must be scared stiff by the brainy, beautiful, duplicitous, and ruthless anti-heroine at the center of When Will I Be Loved (2004). James Toback’s R rated drama follows the sexploits of Vera Barrie (Neve Campbell). Newly arrived in the adult world of New York City, this scheming prodigy has not yet said goodbye to the last of her baby fat but is already saying hello to kinky casual encounters, advanced erotic manipulation, and video documentation of her fully indulged bi-curious impulses. When her fast-talking boyfriend Ford (Frederick Weller) and the smooth-moving Italian Count Tommaso (Dominic Chianese) arrive at an understanding of how best to exploit this sexy brunette, the tables turn and these men must admit just how little they understood of the disarming femme fatale after all. Even though this thriller was a critical miss, it managed to receive a rave review from none other than Roger Ebert who said the film “is like a jazz solo that touches familiar themes on its way to a triumphant and unexpected conclusion.” Mr. Skin definitely agrees that the movie inspired some familiar touching — especially when Ms. Campbell reveals her bare back, rack and crack while showering at the movie’s 1:15-minute mark. No doubt, this steamy scene will fog up your computer screen. In other words, it’s hot!