Plot: What’s it about?
Lillian (Jade Henham) is a beautiful woman, but she sleepwalks through life, thanks to the choices she has made. Her lifestyle involves immense luxuries and she never wants for material possessions, but she is restricted in terms of social activities. She serves as mistress to Gene (Sam Bottoms), a wealthy businessman with a sharp, manipulative mind and a fierce appetite for sexual perversion. As time has passed, Gene has become Lillian’s lifeline and without his support, she would be unable to continue her lush lifestyle. But even so, the lack of fresh air and freedom has taken a toll on her, to be sure. When Gene leaves on a last minute ski vacation with his wife, Lillian is left behind, as usual. Her best friend Andrea (Essence Atkins) arrives however, determined to take her pal out on the town for one hell of a good time. She has to drag Lillian out, but the two soon embark on a night of wild abandon. On this excursion, she meets a man named Luke (Robert Glen Keith), a writer who catches her attention. He reminds her of the life she is unable to pursue, which causes some serious doubts about her choices. But then Gene returns, which eases some of her doubts, as well as creating some new ones. Will Lillian look outside her current situation for happiness, or simply remain Gene’s mistress?
I had read mixed reviews of this movie, so I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I found Looking Through Lillian to be a more than solid picture. This film has such a sense of realism, you’ll often think you’re watching a documentary, which is no small feat. It has some flaws, but the performances and overall realistic texture more than compensate. In this kind of story, the more realistic the better, as it adds impact to the events that transpire. In this film, we almost feel like voyeurs at times, like we’ve found a window to look into, which happens to have this woman inside, who has reached a personal crossroads. This is due in large part to the performance of Jade Henham, who also cowrote and coproduced this picture. She makes a dynamic debut here, with an effort that never seems like acting, more like a sincere portrait. She is joined by Sam Bottoms and Essence Atkins, who also provide effective, very realistic performances. The realism makes you invest more into the experience, as the emotion seems more real and tangible, so you’ll care more about the characters. This movie has a lot of graphic sexual situations, including some offbeat twists, so if you’re easily offended, be forewarned. But for fans of indie cinema that want some added spice, Looking Through Lillian is highly recommended.
As I mentioned before, this movie is often like watching a documentary, thanks to the intense realism in some scenes. I also said one of the major reasons for that was Jade Henham, who turns in a superb effort here. Henham’s work in Looking Through Lillian would be impressive for a veteran of the screen, but to think this is her first feature film, that’s almost unbelievable. As she also cowrote and coproduced, Henham must have had personal ties to the material also, which enhanced her performance to no end. In truth, it is like she is the subject of a documentary, as Henham shows no signs of acting or pretense. This adds a lot to the movie of course, since it brings more raw emotion and that means increased impact. A daring role like this might trip up even seasoned actresses, but Henham steps up big time in her debut, giving us a strong indication that her future should be quite bright indeed. At the time of this review, Henham had not been involved in another production, but let’s hope we see her again soon. The cast also includes Sam Bottoms (The Last Picture Show, Apocalypse Now), Essence Atkins (How High, Nikita Blues), and Robert Glen Keith (Rites of Passage, Storm Catcher).
Video: How does it look?
Looking Through Lillian is presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. This was a low budget production to start with, not to mention the visual scheme put into motion, so don’t expect a refined presentation here. Instead, we have a raw visual treatment and that’s good, since that is how the film was intended to be shown. The image has some softness, which lends a kind of documentary texture, which is the desired effect. The colors are bright and contrast is solid, but due to the softness, don’t expect too much. The movie uses a lot of home video footage also, which looks as good as expected, so no complaints there. So this treatment looks a little rough at times, but preserves the intended visuals well enough.
Audio: How does it sound?
The audio here is simple, but effective and that is just what is needed here, to allow the material itself to be the focus. The track sometimes gets a little louder, but for the most part, this is a reserved treatment. The audio has a very natural presence however, so we don’t miss the power elements that are absent in this soundtrack. I found the sound effects to be passable, more than acceptable within the film’s structure, without question. You won’t be dazzled or have your system pushed much, but the material is well handled. The dialogue comes across well also, with no distortion or volume balance issues. So no bells & whistles here, just a solid presentation that covers all the needed bases.
Supplements: What are the extras?
The main supplement is an audio commentary with director Jake Torem and star Jade Henham, who are joined by film critic Wade Major. As usual, Major manages to be more of an annoyance than moderator, as he goes for the simple, obvious topics, instead of the stuff we really want to hear about. Torem seems brisk and discusses all kinds of subjects, but Henham isn’t talkative as I had hoped. This disc also includes some a selection of deleted scenes, talent files, still photos, some outtakes, and the film’s trailer.
