Review of Sleeping Beauty (2011) by Humberto R — 14 Jul 2012

Hmmm, not sure what this is. But Emily Browning is pretty enough to allow me to forgive the filmmakers. I could not get through Eyes Wide Shut many years ago, and I've not read any of the 50 Shades books. Maybe this is a cross of the two? Maybe this genre is finally being exposed...all these rich people who are naughty? Eh, for the money they spend to lie with this sleeping beauty, they could have hired three high class hookers. Not sure I get the point of sophistication.

The story is just way too unclear. It seems obvious that Browning will do about anything for money. She has numerous jobs from waitressing, evidently to prostituting, to this odd job of being paid $250/hr to basically take some sleeping pills and let rich old men lie next to her...definitely no penetration. But why does she have all these jobs? Doesn't seem to be a need. Instead of paying off something, she rents a supersweet condo.

There is one pretty cool storyline, but I did not get that one until I read about it after. For that, it probably bumped the movie a a 4/10 instead of a 3/10. I'll go ahead and spoil it since it is unlikely anyone will watch the movie and/or read this: her friend, who we know little about, kills himself. He basically dies with her in his arms. Later, she finds out a man paid to do this same thing. Kinda cool story there, but it goes nowhere and is not real clear in the movie.

Finally, Browning is nude a lot. She's quite pretty, though as some have pointed out, looks a little childish. Might have rather seen dear Clara in that role. She's kinda the queen of the ring, organizing all the lie downs and whatnot. Looked attractive, but they made her seem old. In reality, she's 40, and probably would have looked great. Heck, I think I'd pay to lie next to either of them ;).