One of the finer thespians the adult industry spawned during its much vaunted "Golden Age", Paul Thomas evolved into an increasingly interesting director as well from the late '80s onwards. Though he started out humbly enough, cranking out vanity videos for German sex starlet Angela Baron (the ROBOFOX movies, GUESS WHO CAME AT DINNER ?, THE BITCH, etc.) as ordered by her late mobster husband Perry Ross, his film-making fate would become inextricably entwined with that of Vivid Video head honcho Steve Hirsch. It's a tough call to decide whether Vivid flourished as one of the top dog carnal companies because of P.T.'s creative contributions or vice versa. Though the studio still shoots quite a lot of its features on film, compared to many of its competitors, it produces but one or two lavish "flagship titles" per year designed to clean up at the AVN Awards and those are strictly Thomas territory. So it was also with BORDERLINE, back in 1995 Vivid's most expensive endeavor to date, and they weren't shy about letting the public know about that as their publicity department stands as one of the most effective in an already bustling field. It has a huge cast though many big name performers like Missy and Nici Sterling only turn up briefly in orgy action and extensive location footage in Mexico. Though far more thinly plotted than the director's subsequent masterpieces like BAD WIVES, the MASSEUSE sequels and THE AWAKENING, it may just be his most erotically effective work.
Giving his trusting wife Brandy (the radiant if sadly under-used Sandra Margot a/k/a "Tyffany Million") the goodbye thrust, cantankerous executive Daniel (superbly played by Steven St. Croix at his most annoyingly bratty) takes off for a "business trip" with extra-curricular playmate Julia, trophy wife of wealthy Ross (character actor George Kaplan). Never noted for acting ability, lovely Celeste nevertheless turns in a career performance as the laid-back lay to Steve's whining and therefore clearly undeserving paramour. Her dialog delivery may still not be the greatest but there's a whole world of emotion behind those gorgeous eyes as expressed by all the caressing close-ups DoP Ralph Parfait bestows upon her. Once their car breaks down South of the border and the local mechanic doesn't seem in too much of a hurry to get things fixed, the first cracks in their relationship begin to show. While this is just a "dirty weekend" for Daniel, it seems much more for Julia, stifled by a loveless marriage and waiting to break out. The carefree sensuality that seems to spill from every dimly lit corner of the picturesque village has very different effects on the both of them. Daniel pretends to be shocked by each wanton display which adds more grist on the mill of Julia's impending liberation. It doesn't take a genius to figure out where this is heading. Naturally, there's a mysterious local stranger who intuitively seems to know all their deepest darkest secrets the charismatic Jorge as portrayed by the frequently underrated Tony Montana in a rare meaty role who takes on the role of catalyst in the movie's inevitable denouement, throwing a sex party where all the masks come off.
What's so special about BORDERLINE is its deliberate breaking away from staid sex scene structures as laid down by present day dictates. As in the more unpredictable adult movies of the free form '70s, sex occurs infrequently, in spurts if you will, not always in complete encounters taken from foreplay to cum shot but in tiny fragments that pop up from nowhere and whose cumulative effect proves ultimately overwhelming. Probably the best illustration of this technique comes courtesy of streetwalker Bridgette Monroe (one of the most unjustly overlooked starlets of the '90s), taking care of local law enforcer Gino Grant in a dimly lit doorway, their raw animal passion startling the central characters. More of a mood piece than a tightly constructed narrative, the movie gradually builds erotic momentum through each successive sex scene or snippet thereof. Celeste is the first to relent to horny hotel maid "Toni" a/k/a Dorian Grant (who did a memorable threesome with Christy Canyon and Krista Maze in P.T.'s THE SHOW) on a wooden staircase, imaginatively framed through the banister. Tellingly, Steve only gives in to the amorous advances of haystack honeys Alicia Rio and Tabitha (from the fiery double penetration bit in Ernest Greene's PLAYTHING 2) when sanctioned by his on-looking lover and still finds it necessary to apologize for this "transgression" after-wards. Never the twain shall meet indeed and their eventual break-up is a foregone conclusion. A final note on the soundtrack, credited to one of Vivid's all purpose pseudonyms ("Barry Boxx" this time, but "Buster Gonads" also turns up regularly !). In a film as fragile as this, music was clearly going to be a make or break factor. Fortunately, bearing in mind P.T.'s background in musical theater (he made a terrific Peter in Norman Jewison's film version of Jesus Christ SUPERSTAR, remember), the lilting Spanish guitar makes for a perfect accompaniment to this gentle tale of ill-matched lovers growing apart.
Giving his trusting wife Brandy (the radiant if sadly under-used Sandra Margot a/k/a "Tyffany Million") the goodbye thrust, cantankerous executive Daniel (superbly played by Steven St. Croix at his most annoyingly bratty) takes off for a "business trip" with extra-curricular playmate Julia, trophy wife of wealthy Ross (character actor George Kaplan). Never noted for acting ability, lovely Celeste nevertheless turns in a career performance as the laid-back lay to Steve's whining and therefore clearly undeserving paramour. Her dialog delivery may still not be the greatest but there's a whole world of emotion behind those gorgeous eyes as expressed by all the caressing close-ups DoP Ralph Parfait bestows upon her. Once their car breaks down South of the border and the local mechanic doesn't seem in too much of a hurry to get things fixed, the first cracks in their relationship begin to show. While this is just a "dirty weekend" for Daniel, it seems much more for Julia, stifled by a loveless marriage and waiting to break out. The carefree sensuality that seems to spill from every dimly lit corner of the picturesque village has very different effects on the both of them. Daniel pretends to be shocked by each wanton display which adds more grist on the mill of Julia's impending liberation. It doesn't take a genius to figure out where this is heading. Naturally, there's a mysterious local stranger who intuitively seems to know all their deepest darkest secrets the charismatic Jorge as portrayed by the frequently underrated Tony Montana in a rare meaty role who takes on the role of catalyst in the movie's inevitable denouement, throwing a sex party where all the masks come off.
What's so special about BORDERLINE is its deliberate breaking away from staid sex scene structures as laid down by present day dictates. As in the more unpredictable adult movies of the free form '70s, sex occurs infrequently, in spurts if you will, not always in complete encounters taken from foreplay to cum shot but in tiny fragments that pop up from nowhere and whose cumulative effect proves ultimately overwhelming. Probably the best illustration of this technique comes courtesy of streetwalker Bridgette Monroe (one of the most unjustly overlooked starlets of the '90s), taking care of local law enforcer Gino Grant in a dimly lit doorway, their raw animal passion startling the central characters. More of a mood piece than a tightly constructed narrative, the movie gradually builds erotic momentum through each successive sex scene or snippet thereof. Celeste is the first to relent to horny hotel maid "Toni" a/k/a Dorian Grant (who did a memorable threesome with Christy Canyon and Krista Maze in P.T.'s THE SHOW) on a wooden staircase, imaginatively framed through the banister. Tellingly, Steve only gives in to the amorous advances of haystack honeys Alicia Rio and Tabitha (from the fiery double penetration bit in Ernest Greene's PLAYTHING 2) when sanctioned by his on-looking lover and still finds it necessary to apologize for this "transgression" after-wards. Never the twain shall meet indeed and their eventual break-up is a foregone conclusion. A final note on the soundtrack, credited to one of Vivid's all purpose pseudonyms ("Barry Boxx" this time, but "Buster Gonads" also turns up regularly !). In a film as fragile as this, music was clearly going to be a make or break factor. Fortunately, bearing in mind P.T.'s background in musical theater (he made a terrific Peter in Norman Jewison's film version of Jesus Christ SUPERSTAR, remember), the lilting Spanish guitar makes for a perfect accompaniment to this gentle tale of ill-matched lovers growing apart.