Sadie

SADIE is director Bob Chinn's followup to his personal favorite film TROPIC OF DESIRE, which was a wonderful nostalgia piece about WW II. Unfortunately SADIE is lifeless, an instructive example of what can go wrong en route to a wrap.

This is the umpteenth version of Maugham's MISS SADIE THOMPSON and unfolds under Chinn's dead serious direction like a play shot for television. The actors are competent, line readings correct, and dramatic arc follows Maugham. However, there is no inspiration - star Chris Cassidy in the title role merely gets through her part (en route to the requisite XXX scenes), never expressing any real emotion.

The problem is simple - as any one who has attended acting classes or rehearsed a play knows, the director attempts to get the most from his actors, not just correct enunciation of lines but rather an understanding of character and text and some life into the performance. Chinn has gotten the bare minimum, understandable in the context of getting a low-budget film completed.

It's not just porn but any indie film that can (and so frequently does) fall prey to this syndrome. I have seen hundreds of unreleased movies that seemed technically well-made, but were lacking even a semblance of life force. SADIE is one of them.

Lead Gary Eberhart is also guilty of a nothing performance, and in character roles (with sex added) Deborah Sullavan and Diane Holt merely prove they weren't ready for the big time. Technical credits are all quite good, but that simply isn't enough.