billed as a " feminist sex fantasy " , this spirited , imaginative and thoroughly engaging film by the award-winning canadian director cynthia roberts , is destined for extreme reactions . camille paglia enthusiasts will no doubt champion this heart-felt tale of the title character bubbles galore ( nina hartley ) , a porn-actress-turned-porn-producer who faces an uphill battle in her quest for sexual and economic independence . however , those in the andrea dworkin camp , will no doubt loathe the film's decidedly pro-porn stance . political considerations aside , however , this is a delightful lesbian love story as the film takes us on a whirlwind tour of bubbles' romantic entanglements with a naive and virginal young porn starlet dory drawers ( shauny sexton ) . in the backdrop , however is bubbles' loyal assistant vivian klitorsky ( tracy wright ) who pines longingly for the affections of her bubbly boss . this femme-butch-femme triangle is what provides the film with considerable humanity * and * sensuality . in addition to the romantic aspects of the story , bubbles is being stalked and terrorized by her ex-boyfriend godfrey montana ( daniel macivor ) , a slimy porn mogul who wishes to make her life as miserable as he can possibly make it . when his plans to sabotage her latest film fall through , he snaps and psychotically decides to kill her . these proceedings are presided over by a most heavenly presence . god herself - yes , in the world of this film , god , is most definitely a " her " - and a chorus of undulating , scantily-clad angels , have their most watchful and lustful eyes on the events as they unfold , adding a lovely fantasy element to this frothy concoction . this bright , colourful and deliriously sexy film is chock-full of great performances . making her dramatic debut , after appearing in over 300 triple x adult films , porn star nina hartley takes command of her role with considerable assurance and a screen presence which puts many other contemporary 'straight' actresses to shame . hartley has overwhelming star power , and one wonders why other non-triple-x producers haven't used her bountiful talents . it is also interesting to note that hartley appears in the recent release of " boogie nights " , a film which takes a far more traditional doom-and-gloom approach to the porn industry . making a cameo appearance in the role of god , former porn actress annie sprinkle , a true artist in her own right - gives the entire film an earthy , sensual glow and certainly solidifies and , by her very appearance , downright justifies the themes of the movie . the other performances are equally solid . daniel macivor appropriately chews up the scenery as the villainous godfrey and tracy wright lends able support with her complex role . shauny sexton , an erotic dancer and pin-up model , makes an impressive screen debut . overall , bubbles galore is a film which wears its politics on its sleeve and very proudly indeed . at one point , the title character declares that " instead of trying to save women from the sex trade , we should be working to ensure that the sex trade is a safe place for women to work " . the direction by cynthia roberts is daring and subversive . roberts is not afraid to plunge the otherwise straight-ahead and simple narrative into extended and extremely avant-garde montage sequences . the love scenes between the women are especially beautiful . the musical score by nicholas stirling blends cool jazz and lounge stylings , while the skilful cinematography by harald bachmann terrifically captures a blend of garish 70's porn and psychedelia . amazingly , this film appears to have received a good deal of its funding from a variety of canadian government cultural agencies . this speaks volumes towards the importance of state funding for culture , as one cannot imagine such an entertaining , original and vital film being made in a traditional setting where conformity and formula rule the day . bubbles galore seems to be making the film festival rounds and does not , at present , appear to have any traditional distribution in place , so keep your eye on the alternative film listings for this one . it's funny , sexy and subversive . and it shouldn't be missed .
