Review of Viva (2008) by Lita T — 27 Apr 2008

Anna Biller created the narrative from cartoons of 1972 Playboy Magazines. She made the costumes, sets, edited, directed, and starred in this film as well. She's an icon that will be a household name someday. After just one live appearance at a special screening, men were lining up to get their picture taken with her.

Almost every frame of Viva could be a photo in either a 1970s Playboy or Good Housekeeping magazine only way more colorful and "vivacious"! Unlike any other 1970s period film I have ever seen, every object and item in the scenes are so strategic, almost like she has a mathematical way of doing it.

Other female directors have taken on sexual exploration, but none quite as fascinating as Anna Biller (IMHO). Biller hypothesized the 1970s female as one who traditionally lounges around the house all day waiting for the husband to come home, makes crafts, watches soaps, and occassionally picks up her husband's Playboy to compare anatomy. As a set designer, she researched the home crafts of the 1970s and made them to decorate the sets... including crochetting lampshades. After being so bored, the poor suburban housewife casually (and humorously) wanders into prostitution, a nudist colony, sex films, and orgies... becoming a glittering diva of desire.

Totally tacky, funny, satirical, and intentionally bad in a good way... the film takes on the sexploitation culture of the 1972. Playboy's most successful year was 1972 and as one audience member proudly proclaimed, "It must have been a good year for sex, because it was the year I was born!".

Kudos Kudos!