SACRED FLESH (2000)

The Nun’s of the Sacred Heart convent are in turmoil over the withdrawn mindset of their Mother Superior who stands precariously on the brink of insanity. She has slipped into a coma of possession where she is forced to face her inner torment at the court of Mary Magdalene, the weeping apostle, where her faith is severally put to the test through endless and tortuous discussions over the pompousness and arrogance of the church system. Beyond the secrecy and mystery that shrouds the inner sanctum of the religious system, vows of chastity are being tested and strained to breaking point as each repressed nun eventually falls to the temptations of sexual desire.
This artfully shot production is an unusual amalgamation of heavy thoughtful dialogue focusing exclusively on religious idealisms and sexual repression mixed with nudity that pulls very few punches but manages to stay just within the realms of tastefulness. The very slow amble towards the first of many sinful encounters might leave some feeling jaded and overwhelmed by the sheer 'talk' factor as the Mother Superior wrestles with her demons via many other-worldly conversations and it isn't until around the 20 minute mark that something other than dialogue occurs (although it still continues in the background for much of the time) and we are treated to the first of several very intimate moments in the company of our kinky little nuns.
As our chatty Mother Superior regales the intimate confessions of her fellow nuns we are offered the visual depiction of the steamy encounters each enjoyed. The first thing that will probably hit you about these scenes is, of course the very beautiful and completely natural actresses who make up the cast of nuns, complete with easy slide habits for quick access to those sensitive areas and full makeup (how times have changed!). It's good to see that Wingrove's direction has ensured that the sexual encounters never become too cheesy or, for that matter too hardcore, ensuring an artful ambience that is missing from most high factor nudity films. The lighting, camera angles and cut away's all play their part to ensure that every scene that captures the nun's naughty night time behavior is a high class visual treat.

The film features Eileen Daly (Razor Blade Smile) in heavy makeup cast as some rather unpleasant demon creature and Emily Booth who presented the brilliant UK clips show 'OutThere'. Unfortunately for fans of either lady, their brief roles are only surpassed by their lack of nudity, but there is certainly enough going on within the bowels of the convent to keep most skin lovers appeased.

DVD special features include story board art work, trailers, a stills gallery, posters and behind the scenes images. It's certainly a shame that you don't get the customary behind the scenes feature looking at the production and talking with some of the cast and crew but, despite this missing gem, this is an otherwise decent mix of paraphernalia.

Score

6 / 10