Tag Archives: Red Feline

September 3, 2020 · 8:47 am

More Performance than Plot

by Rich Moreland, September 2020

This is the second installment on Jac Avila’s latest project, a series of vignette films titled CruXtreme.

My thanks to Jac and Red Feline for the photos that appear here.

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No Independent  Cinematographer

While seemingly unsophisticated at first glance, the cinematography in CruXtreme I (CX I): The Playroom is actually quite innovative considering the limited space of the set and the fact that there is no independent cinematographer. Cameras are situated to capture the whip induced agonies from different angles and positions, reminding us that the editing was a challenge. Near the end, the camera does some sweeping views of the film’s star, Daniela Borda, but they are minimal.

In my discussions with the film’s creator, Jac Avila, he was honest in his assessment of the tasks he and Dani faced with the film.

“The Playroom is more a performance than a film with a plot. It has a plot, sure, but very thin,” he began.

“It was made just by the two of us, Dani and myself. I do the work of setting up lights and the camera and all of that which is manual labor, of course, and tiring, lots of moving around and carrying things within the span of a couple of hours.

“Dani took care of her personal make up. All the [other] make-up effects were done by me.”

Those include the bloody marks on her body.

Jac continued with his praise of Dani contributions.

“She helped me with the set, moving things around and the decor. I used some of the music I have in our archives, the opening piece was also used in other films, Pygmalion, amongst them. That’s the Bach piano melody,” he said.

Together they did a most credible job.

One-Man Crew

For fans with a technical interest in filmmaking, Jac elaborated on what it’s like to work within a confined environment. By the way, he references CX I’s follow-up films, CX II and CX III.

“For the first two films in this series I used only one camera which I had to move a lot for all of the angles I have on each scene, I used a tripod and a crane, depending of the kind of shot I wanted.

“In the current film (CX III) I’m using two cameras, the Canon that I move a lot, setting it up on the tripod or the crane, depending on the kind of shot I want, and a 4K GoPro that [is] above the cross to get a bird’s wide angle view of the scenes.”

We talked a little about some of the muffled dialogue which is difficult to understand. It’s a concern, Jac pointed out.

“One of the problems with working as a one-man crew is that I have to do everything, so I don’t have a sound person to make sure everything is coming along well. I record the sound both with the built-in camera mike and with a separate professional sound recorder with a great Sennheiser mike set up in a boom. But I can’t use my earphones to hear what is happening.

The mike is set up so that Dani can be heard “because she’s the focus of the story,” Jac explained. Unfortunately, “my voice muddles a bit,” he added.

Despite the technical shortcomings, CX I is a remarkable success.

Three is a Risk

As we’ve mentioned above, there are at least two more films in the works on this theme: CruXtreme II and III. They are also the joint efforts of Jac and Dani.

According to Jac, Dani loved working on the series despite the horrors she apparently endures.

“She commented to me, recently, that she’s having a lot of fun,” he said.

It’s clear that her enthusiasm for the “victim” role is genuine.

“When I told her that we were almost done with the third one, she said that she has mixed feelings. She wants to finish it because she wants to move on to the next movie, while she doesn’t want to finish it because she’s enjoying it too much.”

Though they will wrap up the third installment soon, the pandemic is playing havoc with their schedule, as might be expected. Jac emphasized that they are faced with a one-week lock down in LaPaz. As a result, they’ll be forced to take that week off.

“If we’re done with CX III, we’ll move on to work on a couple of films with Mila [Joya] where Dani will also play a part,” he added.

Covid19’s toll is evident, however.

“Because of the pandemic, the team has come down to two people, and soon we will be three [when Mila is on board],” Jac said. “That’s it. We can’t have more people working. Even three is a bit of a risk. We’re taking all the precautions, but still.”

Among those precautions is a limited time frame to complete the shooting.

“Our work schedule is two hours a day, two or three days a week. We have long stretches without working or seeing each other, so if anyone of us shows any symptoms, we would cancel further plans.

“Awful times indeed,” he lamented.

Alas, the Tattoo Parlor

Finally, Red Feline fans will be disappointed to learn that the impressive dungeon used in recent productions is no more. Jac let us in on the back story.

“Soon after the release of Justine, I was contacted by Dani who had seen Justine and decided that she wanted to work with me in films like that. I had just finished shooting The Passion of Isabel with Bea (Beatriz Rivera) and had the set with all the props for a few more days, so she (Dani) came over for a test and I was very surprised that she did not have any problems getting all undressed to be chained up and mistreated for a casting test.

“Sadly, I had to leave the set, it was already taken over by a tattoo parlor. I could’ve made lots of new films there. I used it in Maleficarum, Le Marquis, Justine and The Passion of Isabel.”

Mila and Amy Hesketh in Maleficarum

 

Bea, Mila, and Amy in Justine

“During the rest of this year I’ll be busy with Dani, Mila and probably Simonne [del la Riva] but mostly with Dani.”

Despite the loss of a great set, I’m sure Jac Avila’s innovations will impress Red Feline’s fans with more terrific and sadistically titillating movies.

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To download the CruXtreme series or order it in a DVD format, head to Vermeerworks.

If you have not yet purchased the tortured female BDSM horror classics Jac mentions here, scroll through the Vermeerworks catalogue for ordering.

And, if you are so inclined, reviews of other Jac and Amy feature films appear in the archives of this blog.

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September 1, 2020 · 12:01 pm

Do You Want to Play?

by Rich Moreland, September 2020

Once again, I’ve taken the opportunity to review a Jac Avila film. His newest offering is the first in a series starring Dani Borda.

Photos are courtesy of Jac Avila and Red Feline.

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The blurb that accompanies the latest Red Feline offering, CruXtreme I, states in part:

After a drink, a young woman visits her lover’s playroom and comments, “‘It is so medieval, like the Spanish Inquisition.’ ‘Do you want to play?’ He asks. ‘Yes’, she responds. Thus begins a night of extreme torture and terror.”

Lovely and Eager

Jac Avila’s reinvigoration of the Red Feline genre ensures another success with CruXtreme I (CX I). The film follows the time-tested erotic horror formula that built the Red Feline label and its loyal fan base. Central to Red Feline’s cinematic successes are the likes of the talented sisters Carmen and Veronica Paintoux, Mila Joya, Beatriz Rivera, and the dynamic Amy Hesketh, all of whom fans have come to adore for their willingness to suffer.

Now we have Daniela Borda and she is sensational. Dani is lovely, nicely put together from a physical standpoint and overly eager to please. Her personality is bright with abounding smiles. From what this writer sees in her CX I performance, should this dark and alluring girl decide to continue with Red Feline and give Jac more opportunities to explore her likes and limits, she may very well eclipse her predecessors in her performances.

Incidentally, this is not Dani’s first Jac Avila shoot. She broke into the erotic horror genre with a role in Monxa Mala. In that film she is his beloved, a role reprised in CX I. Incidentally, Dani has a history with Red Feline before her role in Monxa, something I discovered when corresponding with Jac.

“Yes, Dani’s first film with me is Monxa Mala,” he says, “but we did a lot of work prior to that film, some of which is good enough to be released as rehearsal movies.”

Hopefully that is in the works soon!

Before we delve into CX I, a helpful comment is appropriate. As a veteran scribe of the adult film industry, I can attest that commercialized pornography revolves around two film variations: the feature and the vignette. With their erotic horror offerings, Jac Avila and Amy Hesketh have created memorable feature films such as the acclaimed Dead But Dreaming and Justine. Productions like these require scripts, substantial budgets, location shooting, and a cast and crew. On the other hand, vignettes are compact and can work without the above. This is the case with CX I.

We’ll talk more about that later. For now, here’s quick run through of the what you will see on-screen.

The Playroom

The opening scene is shot in the bedroom of the male protagonist (Jac Avila). He has a female guest (Dani Borda) and serves her a drink. They’re apparently lovers. At one point, she tells him, “I like to do lots of things,” and inquires as to what he has in mind that might satisfy her. He suggests “Monopoly,” but that is of no interest to her. She says she is “awful” at that game. That settles everything and he lets her in on his ploy: his playroom. She responds hungrily. “I want to see it!”

“Do you like scary?” he asks.

“Yeah, I like it a lot!” she smiles.

And so, the stage is set for Dani’s coming tribulations fueled by the erotic taste of the macabre that thrives at the end of a whip.

The Wheel

The entire film is set around a wheel that is an ominous relic of the Middle Ages. Dani is coy and demure while excitedly open to anything. It’s a delightful combination that sells this movie. She examines the device with carnal fascination . . . or might we suggest loving masochism. When she agrees to be attached to it face down with arms outstretched, her ordeal begins.

With the first blows of the riding crop, Jac asks “Do you like it?”

She answers with a definitive, yet cautious, “yes.”

But as we know in these kinds of Red Feline scenarios, her painful cries will soon overwhelm her enthusiasm, or so we are led to believe. When the intensity builds, she will protest with “It hurts!” and “Okay, stop it!” — words that will invigorate BDSM fans who relish the helpless, punished female. But the certainty of her pleas is somewhat in doubt. Dani is into this.

Over the course of the film, Dani’s naked body is put into four different positions and thoroughly worked over to the viewer’s delight. Her performance reflects touches of Amy’s Red Feline resume. Lots of crying out and then passing out which allows her to be repositioned for the next scene. Best of all, there are no loin cloths to conceal her tender parts, evident when Jac secures her ankles with a homemade spreader bar that reveals all. (Note: Like Jac’s other cinematic victims, Dani is not completely shaved which retains a touch modesty that may disappoint some fans.)

The hallmark of a Red Feline production is the “interlude” when the camera lingers on the tortured motionless body each time the victim succumbs to unconsciousness. The silence during these scenes is deafening. There are long pauses (in literature they are known as frozen moments) while the viewer watches her servile and submissive breathing that assures the anticipation of the next whipping. As if in a painting, the pauses are an artistic rendering of an avenue of female sexuality that has a BDSM niche appeal.

Similar to the quiet moments in Justine when Amy goes under from the whip, splashes of water do the trick and Dani is revived so her tribulation (or should we say “fun”) can continue.

It’s worth a note that when Dani is face up on the wheel, the medieval flavor of the dungeon playroom is reinforced with a spiked belt attachment that secures her waist to increase her pain and eliminate writhing.

Body Art

By the way, Dani Borda is tattooed and pierced. Her body art fits well with the contemporary “outre” female who is perfect for these films. Call it kinky or quirky, no matter. Everything comes together with Dani and her fans—no pun intended, of course.

Speaking of the erotic element, there is frequent kissing during Dani’s trials. It’s a celebration, really, of her beauty and willingness to endure. Never once in the film did this reviewer get the impression that she was not enjoying herself or pleased with her performance. The tone of Dani’s on-screen presence will remind Red Feline aficionados of their past sweethearts (mentioned above) who have endured Jac Avila’s torments.

Before we examine the film’s cinematography in the next post, there is this:

Jac and Dani appear to make love as the final moments of the opening scene transition into their visit to his playroom. Keep that in mind because there is a surprise ending that raises questions about what is really going on in this film: reality or fantasy or flashback? You decide.

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To download Cruxtreme I or order it in a DVD format, head to Vermeerworks.

If you have not yet purchased the tortured female BDSM horror classics Jac mentions here, scroll through the Vermeerworks catalogue for ordering.

And, if you are so inclined, reviews of other Jac and Amy’s feature films appear in the archives of this blog.

 

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November 17, 2017 · 11:17 am

The Passion of Isabel: Part Two

by Rich Moreland, November 2017

This is the second part of my review of The Passion of Isabel, a Red Feline film starring Beatriz Rivera as the victim and Jac Avila as her torturer, Torquemada.

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The Passion of Isabel sticks with its erotic theme throughout.

No Escape

For instance, food is important imagery. Torquemada teases Isabel with water to replenish her energy and eventually brings her rudimentary nourishment after he has kept her confined for two days. She’s offered an apple and a small loaf of bread, both highly sexualized symbols.

Eating is a Freudian symbol for sex. Isabel is capitulating to his sexual control over her. When he tempts her with the apple in an Adam and Eve reversal, Isabel looks into his eyes with submission in hers.

Torquemada leaves the apple so she can feed herself in an act that implies dependence and obedience. He controls his prisoner totally now and wants her strong enough to endure the abuse she will suffer. Taking the food from Isabel, Torquemada stands her up for the first round of punishment, the exquisite whipping scene mentioned in Part One of this review.

Other symbols enhance Isabel’s enslavement. During her second rape, Torquemada chokes her with the chains that keep her under his control. In BDSM play, restricting breathing during sex increases its orgasmic intensity for the masochist.

Is Isabel being taught to perversely enjoy her trials?

Another prominent image is the metallic collar which is prominent throughout the film before it is locked around Isabel’s neck. When it is on the floor on its side, the camera shoots the scene through it, framing the device with a double meaning. It represents Isabel’s manacles and its round opening is a clear statement that this is a highly sexualized film.

As a foreboding of her death, Torquemada hangs Isabel in another erotic act. He stretches out her neck with the chain attached to the collar, once again suppressing her breathing and intensifying her sexual experience as he takes control of her soul.

Notice the other circular object, the pressure belt, is secured around her waist and also acts as a metaphor for the female sex. Isabel’s youthful beauty is slowly strangling her as the collar and the belt act as opposing forces.

There is no escape. She suffers because she is desired.

Rack and Wheel

A ladder becomes a rack to stretch Isabel’s body in the proper manner prescribed by the Inquisition. As Isabel’s misery continues, close-ups of her face underscore looks of desperation and defeat.

Her whimpering increases as the intensity of her trials is ratcheted up, but she never screams or cries out. Even as the end nears, Isabel displays a fortitude that is commendable.

When the film returns to the circle motif, the scenes move to the breaking wheel, sometimes called the Catherine Wheel. Isabel’s whippings continue and to increase her humiliation, Torquemada confines her in two ways: on the rim of the wheel with her back arched and then spread-eagle on the spokes in a crucifixion position.

Beatriz Rivera deserves high praise when she is stretched on the rim. Because the weight of her body pulls her down, she is steadied by the rope around her upper body and between her legs (sensationally erotic since she is nude) while the camera captures her pain.

Though accustomed to acrobatic maneuvers to show the sex they are having, only top of the line adult actresses ever deal with such an unnatural position.

Torquemada asks, “Do you repent for your father’s death?”

Isabel remains defiant, smiling slightly and shaking her head with a “no, no.”

There’s more lashing, rape, and anguish before the film’s denouement.

Allegory

In the final crucifixion, Isabel is subjected to probes with sharp objects (the medieval test for witches) and the pressure belt to add to her torment. Torquemada nails her feet and hands and rotates the wheel so that Isabel goes from the upright Christ position to the upside-down configuration of St. Peter.

When the crown of thorns is placed on her head, there are two single branches pointing upward resembling the horns of Satan. It’s a comment that Isabel’s tribulations symbolize the fight against evil that reaches into eternity. Pay close attention when her eyes look upward.

Isabel’s stoicism soars to its heavenly heights at this point. Rightly or wrongly, she accepts the responsibility for the crime she stands accused of committing and understands her punishment.

One more observation is worthy of comment. The ball attached to the pressure belt is allegorical. The pre-Christain Atlas bears the weight of the world just as Christ takes on the sins of man.

Isabel has clearly moved from sinner to saint and as the film closes. A heartbeat is all we hear. It slows, becoming almost imperceptible into eternity with the message that death is a state of mind rather than a spiritual end.

Bea’s Triumph

In the first part of this review, I suggested that Beatriz Rivera learned her craft in the film Justine and has now matured into an artistic performer in The Passion of Isabel.

This juxtaposition of a sixteenth century story in a twenty-first century film is evident in Bea’s performance. First, she rises to fame as an erotic actress. Notice, however, that she parts with Amy Hesketh and Mila Joya when she trims and partially shaves her pubic area so the female sex is on-screen. She lets us know she’s a modern bondage star and a woman making her own statement of sexual liberation.

What’s more, the decision to leave in the stud in her nose and her single ear piercing establishes a contemporary identity. Throw in her tattoos that are only lightly covered with make-up (the one high on her back is not) and we have the kind of presentation that excites today’s BDSM aficionados.

What of Bea’s acting?  As mentioned in part one, her range of expressions are largely non-verbal which requires concentration and awareness of what the scene is asking of her. She is subtle in her message of suffering.

Not only that, but her whipping scenes are realistic. At no time does she appear as a caricature of a victim. The viewer can feel her pain and the lingering agony of her relentless torture.

For these reasons which move Beatriz Rivera as actress beyond her lovely nakedness, Red Feline fans are going to demand more from this Bolivian sweetheart. Her film presence is pure erotic pleasure marked by the whip.

Final Thought

In Part One of this review, I pointed out the difference between the three tortured women in Red Feline/Pachamama Productions I’ve reviewed.

Bea’s performance in Isabel clearly delineates how differently she handles the erotic role of the tortured female from Amy Hesketh and Mila Joya. Bea is not horror-oriented as is Amy. Her pain is internalized so that crying out and screaming is not reflective of how she portrays pain. Likewise, she is not the submissive and docile character that appeals to Mila. Bea is defiant and in many ways totally feminist.

The magic of a Jac Avila film library allows the viewer to choose and appreciate the different ways talented actresses approach their masochistic roles and the brutal situations they find themselves in.

As for Bea in  The Passion of Isabel, she yields in the end, but the viewer gets the feeling that her heart never really stops beating.

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A Jac Avila film rarely disappoints even the harshest critic. Yes, his work is not for everybody and the viewer must have a taste for the performance art the Red Feline/Pachamama studios present.

At no time are the actresses abused, but as Jac will tell anyone who will listen, shooting his films can be an arduous experience. The scenes are hard on the body and the psyche, but each performer values the opportunity to make her own artistic statement.

Keeping this in mind, our wholehearted thanks is extended to all the women who appear in Jac’s films, and particularly to Beatriz Rivera as Isabel, for enriching our film experience.

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November 15, 2017 · 5:57 pm

The Passion of Isabel: Part One

by Rich Moreland, November 2017

Entering its eighteenth year of production, Red Feline Pictures (RFPIX) continues its mission to bring BDSM film to a niche audience fascinated by crucifixion themes hammered and nailed with religious imagery.

The films typically center on a single female and her suffering under an oppressive regime or doctrine, such as the Inquisition, or as a product of her own fertile and willing imagination.

The Passion of Isabel stars the incomparable Beatriz Rivera as the heroine and longtime Red Feline actor and director Jac Avila as Torquemada.

In addition to Isabel, all of the films mentioned in this review are available at Red Feline and have been reviewed on this blog. I encourage anyone who wishes to purchase The Passion of Isabel to read my analysis of the other movies to get a further flavor of the Red Feline/Pachamama Films product.

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The Passion of Isabel is set in early modern Europe at the beginning of the sixteenth century. The Age of Discovery promises the dawn of a new day that will challenge outdated belief systems.

However, for the youthful and beautiful Isabel, the old ways remain in place. Her father has arranged her marriage to an aristocratic friend named Torquemada and announces it publicly.

“Isabel is called to her father’s side at the high tower in a palace,” we are told, where she refuses the union, asserting that she will be her own woman and make her own choices.

“Enraged by this public humiliation, her father rushes to chastise her. To free herself from his grip, she pushes him, causing him to fall from the tower to his death. This dooms Isabel. For she is locked in a dungeon to await trial.

But there will not be any trial… Her fate now rests in the hands of Torquemada. And he has only one goal: Destroy the woman who humiliated and rejected him.”

If there is a single weakness in this film it is illustrated above. The viewer is not introduced to the story and instead is taken immediately to the dungeon where Isabel will suffer at the hands of Torquemada. To fill in the gap, I encourage everyone to read the entire description (parts of which I have quoted here) on the Red Feline website.

An introductory explanation during the opening credits would have helped set the scene, especially since the DVD is not packaged with a box cover that would include a brief synopsis.

But that is the only shortcoming in The Passion of Isabel. For BDSM fans who crave the vision of lovely female flesh resisting and succumbing to pain, this film fits the bill.

Your Body or Your Soul

The story opens with Isabel brought into the dungeon where she will face the judgement imposed on her by a deranged mind, her “crime” a mere excuse for unabated sadism and the sexual satisfaction it brings.

“Why do you have me here? You know I’m not guilty.” She questions.

Torquemada, who has no interest in consoling her, grabs Isabel behind the neck (which he does frequently in the film), and announces her father died disappointed that his gift to a friend turned into a “rebellious daughter” who needs to be chastised.

“He wanted you to be mine. You’re mine now and you’re going to pay for what you did to your father.”

Isabel is angry, telling him he knows it was not her fault.

Unmoved, Torquemada asks which is stronger, her body or her soul, then lets Isabel know both are now his.

From here the movie examines the miseries Torquemada inflicts on his victim. Among the whippings and rack and wheel tortures, there are the repeated simulated rapes.

Does this make Passion a horror story for an a mature audience? Perhaps, considering that most people may not want the kids to watch a naked woman abused and used. But, there is no hardcore sex and certainly no gore. This is not a slasher film.

So, what is it? For some viewers, Passion is soft porn (because of its nudity) marked with ordeals of pain. But that is hardly adequate. From my perspective, Passion is exactly what makes the Red Feline label popular: an outré, extravagant, and kinky art film with an undeniable erotic overlay.

The Erotic

Yet, what is erotic has as many variances as there are film fans. Having said that, it is too easy and grossly unfair to dismiss Red Feline productions like Martyr, Agent X, and Red Room as mindless female torture movies. Like Passion, they explore the psychological aspects of how we as a society view our sexuality, especially the masochistic/sadistic paradigm.

Over the years, the Red Feline label has matured in its technical presentation and Passion, at this point in time, has reached cinematic excellence. Visually, the viewer will be stunned by the clarity of the sadistic trials Isabel must endure.

What’s more, actress Beatriz Rivera has an overwhelming assignment in this film: show Isabel’s evolution from angry resistance to total submission. Torquemada breaks her so that she may reach her “understanding” in peace.

Because dialogue is sparse, Bea must reveal this transformation with her eyes, her expressions, her body positions, and her cries. In effect, they become the dialogue of surrender.

Bea’s gift is her ability to do this in a way that is steeped in our old friend, eroticism. Isabel is no passive whipping toy. She’s a fighter with whimpering her only concession to Torquemada’s abuse and asserts her feminist belief in her own sexual power. She may break in the end, but her torturer will work hard for his triumph.

Bea as Isabel bravely endures her pain to the excitement of the BDSM crowd. But that is only part of her appeal. She uses Isabel’s anguish to seduce even the most casual viewer. It’s a rare talent indeed.

Take, for example, the first whipping scene. Isabel’s arms are manacled in a crucifixion position and she growls at Torquemada, “Why are you doing this to me? Damn you, get off me.”

But for Isabel, from now on it’s all downhill and there will be no tears only quiet resistance that still flickers at the end.

By the way, this a fabulous scene. Beatriz Rivera’s body is exquisite, her nakedness enchanting. It is one of the best lashing sequences ever filmed by Red Feline or Pachamama Films, for that matter, and that includes the riveting work of Amy Hesketh whose filming resume is without equal in this kind of scene. That, believe me, is high praise and Bea should be proud of her performance in this segment for it alone is worth the price of the DVD.

The Victim Role Times Three

Beatriz Rivera appears in Justine, a Pachamama Film that also stars Amy Hesketh and Mila Joya who take the stage together in other films, among them Barbazul and Dead But Dreaming.

What is fascinating is how each of the actresses plays the victim role differently. Amy is horror oriented (Olalla, a vampire tale like Dead, is the best example). Her scenes carry a shock value that departs from pure eroticism because Amy believes in putting psychological terror on an equal footing with S/M for its own sake.

Amy in Olalla

Mila follows a different path. Despite a brief irascible moment as the vampire Aphrodisia in Dead, Mila is the docile submissive (for the non-torture version check out her role in Barbazul). Her suffering is preordained, it seems, and she is led to the slaughter with her gorgeous body abused and bloodied. Mila’s anguish is highlighted in both Maleficarum and Le Marquis de la Croix where she is sensationally pleasing to the sadistic eye.

Mila in Le Marquis de la Croix

Truth be told, Amy and Mila are luscious displays of female pulchritude. They are as alluring as any BDSM model in adult film and could go that route if they chose. But the question remains how to show the erotic side of sexy under the lash. Both can do that with their established reputations.

Mila and Amy in Maleficarum

Where, then, does this place Bea? Easy, the Bolivian beauty’s seductive and steamy on-camera persona challenges Amy and Mila for the camera’s eye. However, in Justine, she is learning her craft and keeps her presence under wraps. Understandable, I might add, considering that at times in the film she is overshadowed by Amy’s star power and Mila’s sultry victimization.

Bea in Justine

Plus, Bea is not totally nude, a downer for eager viewers who like their whipped women totally exposed and an indication of some hesitation on her part, at least in that film.

Incidentally, her introduction to the sadomasochistic genre of the Pachamama variety puts more emphasis on plot line than Red Feline so Bea had to demonstrate her acting skills from the get go. Not a simple task for a fresh face.

But hey, it’s a learning curve and that was her beginning. The Passion of Isabel has moved her forward in giant steps. Whereas Justine offers the viewer a taste of Beatriz Rivera, Isabel marches her onto center stage to carry the story on her shapely back, pun intended.

As Amy and Mila begin to explore other artistic avenues that may limit their futures in front of the camera, Beatriz Rivera is ready to step up to the plate, as they say in baseball, and hit a few homers of her own.

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A few comments on the technical aspects of the film are in order.

First, three cameras are used to record the scenes with a pace that is Hollywood worthy. Second, the technical quality (color and clarity) of the film is top notch. And third, in the movies timing is everything and Isabel’s suffering is highlighted by frozen imagery when the camera lingers on her beaten body after the torture has ended.

Its a cinematic moment Jac Avila has perfected that enriches the artistic vision of Red Feline and Pachamama films. The film’s message is transformed into a museum painting.

In my view, for these reasons alone The Passion of Isabel has to be the best Red Feline picture made so far.

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