Only to be left with ambivalence - at best. Perhaps it's a product of male perversions. Despite a few Name Talents, this is undergrad neo-feminist twaddle, low budget in every respect: The staging (though there are some interesting elements to some of the sets), the tortured emotions, the music, and most of all the symbolism. Honestly, I do try to appreciate Tilda Swinton's work - and I certainly did enjoy her performance in "Michael Clayton" (as a corrupt lawyer - does she have a problem with typecasting?), but even with long hair (a definite improvement), I still find her a little repellent. I suppose if I'm to be fair I'll give it a B+ for nudity, but beyond that there really isn't anything to recommend it. Go watch "Tommy" instead if you need tales of damaged children, and at least you'll be entertained.

The compulsive, neurotic, deranged and bi-sexual efficient and tough lawyer Evelyn Stephens (Tilda Swinton) is depending on an interview with the Governor to be appointed as a judge in the court of law. Her kleptomaniac sister Maddie Stephens (Amy Madigan) is finishing her PhD in UCLA. While waiting for her interview, Eve has a simultaneous affair with John (Clancy Brown) and the psychologist Renee (Karen Sillas), and helps her mean sister to leave the jail, arrested in a shoplifting.

"Female Perversions" is a weird movie with bizarre characters. The sad soundtrack and the photography are very beautiful and the interpretations of the cast are excellent. However, although being intriguing and provocative in some moments, the story never reaches a point and sometimes becomes boring. Further, although having naked women and many sex scenes, they are not erotic and does not excite, at least under the view of a man. I did not like this movie, but I recognize that it is a stylistic film with great performances. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Desejos Femininos" ("Female Desires")

Half of "Female Perversions" was of interesting female images a la Jane Campion and half was turgid and incomprehensible.

Several people gave up and walked out in the middle. Interestingly, while my friend and I had come as we were in the mood for a dose of strong feminism and possible male-bashing, the pretty full audience for a matinée was 80% male definitely attracted by the beautiful naked female bodies casually on display throughout the movie, including quite a bit of explicit lesbian sex, which tends to put me to sleep as it did in "Go Fish." (You do get to see a glimpse of a naked Clancy Brown).

We were the only ones sitting through the credits trying to figure the movie out and exchanging ideas about what the heck the images, let alone the story line meant. Best were the fantasies and nightmares as images of a successful woman's underlying insecurities.

But what a cop-out to do what seemingly all contemporary fiction does this days - blame it all on parental child sexual abuse. And I thought the sexual interpretation of kleptomania had been discredited 50 years ago (at the turn of the century women shoplifters were cured with hysterectomies!). (originally written 5/24/1997)