Room in Rome

As one might guess from the poster, Room in Rome has lots of nudity. I would safely estimate that the two actresses spend 95 percent of their time in the film naked, so I hope the set was kept nice and toasty warm. I sought out the film from Netflix for obvious reasons, but I must admit the film is better than it has any right to be.

Written and directed by Julio Medem, Room in Rome is basically a two-character drama that takes place entirely in a hotel room in Rome and the street immediately below it. Two women, one from Spain (Elana Anaya) and one from Russia (Natasha Yarovenko), are both spending their last night in the Eternal City.

Something sparks between them, and Anaya, who is a lesbian, urges Yarovenko to come back to her room with her. Yarovenko says she's never done anything like this before, but gets into bed naked with her new friend. She slips out, but forgets her cell phone, and has to come back, and the two spend the night having sex and swapping stories, some true, some not. They fall in love, but will each leave their respective partners?

Outwardly this would appear to be soft-core porn, but it really isn't. Yes, the two are naked, and gloriously so, but the sex is no more explicit that most films (albeit lesbian sex isn't all that common in mainstream films). The two actresses are more committed to it than, say, Neve Campbell and Denise Richards were in Wild Things. But aside from the viewing pleasure for men, the script does offer some substance, and the acting is pretty good (Anaya is a veteran of Almodovar films). The women are portrayed as complicated characters, particularly in the way they obfuscate the truth. Was Anaya really part of an Arabian harem? Does Yarovenko have a twin sister, and if so, which one is she, the actress or the tennis player?

I also found it interesting that the film is right up to date with technology--the two are able to look at each other's house via Google Earth, which certainly makes instant hook-ups a little more interesting. Modem also makes exquisite use of the hotel room, which is adorned with Renaissance art and all sorts of nooks and crannies. His composition, both of the beautiful women and the decor, is exquisite.

So, if you're looking to watch a movie that might titillate sexually as well as satisfy the cinematically, Room in Rome is not a bad choice.