Chantal (2007)

Absolutely Fantastic

I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Chantal is not a horrible movie, but it fails on several levels. First and foremost, I cannot believe anyone could possibly be as naive as Chantal manages to be. Yes, I can certainly see her being unprepared for a lot of what is thrown at her, but expecting to get a room for a week at a good hotel for four dollars? Seriously? Not even a hundred years ago. Her naivety is way overplayed to the point where it's impossible to take any of the movie seriously. Frankly, she comes across as entirely unlikable to the point where you almost root for reality to smack her around a bit.Add to that every cliché you can think of for a Hollywood lowlife all acting in the most despicable manner possible. The only interesting character in the whole movie is Pablo just because he actually has memorable personal quirks.Chantal's downward spiral runs too quickly as well. She goes from refusal to acceptance far too easily again and again. Over a period of a couple months? Yes. Over a week? Not likely.If you want to see a few brief scenes of nudity, I guess this movie is okay, though it doesn't even do much there compared to many others. If you're looking for an overplayed story of an unbelievably innocent young girl being swallowed up by Hollywood, you might enjoy it, but otherwise, don't waste your time.

Mundae's portrayal of Chantal, a sweet innocent girl from a small town trying to become a movie star in Hollywood hits all the right clichés.In fact the whole movie fit all the stereotypes of how Hollywood eats young girls like Chantal up and spits them out.But a little different than the soft-core porn Mundae became infamous for, this tale has some enduring moments but I think it rides the line of erotic drama and pornographic parody too strong.It was a good way for Mundae to show she's more than "visual material" for those "many lonely nights", but the movie itself is a little too dark for that "activity", unless you're really into the ideal of a bright eyed innocent, spiraling down a dark path that gets very surreal as it goes.Definitely something for real deal Mundane fans but I would stick with the movies that Julie Strain starred in rather than this one which she made a cameo in.Good effort but takes what it is too seriously.

"Chantal" tells the story of a young, naive girl who comes to Hollywood as she, like many others, wants to become a star. Within a few days, her illusions are shattered as she gets to know the other side of the coin: exploitation instead of glamor. "Chantal" is a movie with ambitious intentions and some stylistic courage, but it makes one crucial mistake. In the beginning, you hear Chantal bragging so much about how great she is, how famous she will be and how quickly the world will be at her feet that you can't help thinking: "Oh Lord, I wish somebody would teach little stupid here a lesson in common sense and modesty." Thus, when we are watching her downfall later on, we are not very concerned. There's a kind of "serves her right" feeling instead of compassion. Because the audience doesn't sympathize with Chantal, the movie loses some effect. Compare this to Jess Franco's "Justine", for example, where Romina Power as Justine is much more lovable when she has to face humiliation. "Chantal" has good performances by Misty Mundae, Julian Wells and the one and only Julie Strain, and surely a few nasty moments you don't forget easily. It's a pity it nevertheless leaves the audience somewhat indifferent.

Do not miss Tony Marsiglia's stunning remake which features an utterly superb central performance from Misty Mundae as the innocent, wide-eyed titular character who dreams of becoming a movie star. However, she soon finds that far from being laced with tinsel, Hollywood is loaded with manipulative predators all too eager to lend a helping hand. In some ways, this is Marsiglia's most straightforward film in terms of storytelling. There's none of the confusing narrative that characterized his previous release, Sinful, or the more dreamlike sequences in the excellent Lust for Dracula (Director's Cut). However, there are one or two moments of weirdness. For example, having been turned away from her first port of call, Chantal decides to lower her sights and enters the bowels of a decrepit hotel presided over by the creepy Pablo (Tony Marsiglia). On finding that she doesn't have enough money for a room even in this hell-hole, Pablo offers her a deal: he'll keep her suitcase and belongings with him, but he'll allow her to take two items with her. "Not the pink ones," he rasps excitedly like an obscene phone caller in imminent danger of a heart attack. There are fine performances from the supporting cast. Darian Caine as an aggressive lesbian photographer gives perhaps her best performance to date with Marsiglia favorite, Andrea Davis, as her co-defiler. They subject the witless Chantal to their forceful attentions in a powerful scene that is harrowing to watch. Julian Wells also turns in a fine performance. Here, she plays an actress wannabe who's already been put through the wringer and is now reduced to turning tricks on the street. Also present on the DVD are a behind the scenes featurette and an interesting audio commentary from Marsiglia and producer, Michael Raso. However, the icing on the cake is a fascinating, separate audio commentary from Tony Marsiglia and Misty Mundae. Aside from the business of 'Chantal', Misty speaks about her decision to stop making softcore films. She admits with refreshing honesty that since making Masters of Horror: Lucky McKee - Sick Girl, offers of acting work that she's been willing to undertake have not been numerous. 'Chantal', for me is a ten star film, but the extra features give this package a twenty star rating. Misty Mundae fans should consider it a must-have.