Some Velvet Morning (film)

Plot summary

Set entirely inside a rowhouse located in Brooklyn, New York City, and taking place in real time featuring a cast of only two persons, a middle-aged lawyer named Fred (Stanley Tucci) surprises his beautiful young mistress Velvet (Alice Eve) by arriving at her doorstep after four years, claiming to have finally left his wife. After she rejects his attempts to rekindle their romance, his persistence evolves into obsession. As tensions rise, a dark history between the former lovers comes into focus.

Initially Velvet tries to get Fred to leave by claiming that she has another appointment with Fred's son, Chris. During Fred and Velvet's discussions, Velvet reveals that she was, and currently still, works as a high-priced escort whom Fred met on one of his many business trips. Their talk eventually leads to a string of arguments over their relationship. The row leads to violence as Fred forces himself upon Velvet and rapes her before walking out.

The climactic twist comes when Fred returns and both he and Velvet break character by revealing how they enjoyed play acting the entire scene. It turns out that 'Fred' is just one of Velvet's regular clients and they meet regularly to act out Fred's different fantasies. Fred pays Velvet for her services as well as some extra money for overstaying the hour. When Velvet expresses her wish to play a role other than escort in their future encounters, Fred suggests that she can be a nurse and he'll play her patient. As he leaves, Velvet asks Fred to promise that he'll call her to schedule their next appointment.

Cast

Reception

The movie received mixed reviews upon release. Jason Di Rosso from ABC Australia saying that the audience was "treated with utter contempt by the director and his accomplices". Slant Magazine's Chuck Bowen wondered "why LaBute was ever taken seriously as a so-called dramatist of the gulf between the sexes" and called the film a "prolonged exercise in resentful gender stalemating", giving it half a star out of five.

Currently, the film holds a 48% on Rotten Tomatoes, with 60% of the top critics giving it a positive review. Christy Lemire, writing for Roger Ebert's website, felt it represented a "return to the kind of writing and filmmaking with which Neil LaBute made his name" and awarded it 3 stars out of 4.