Sunday, January 27, 2019

'Nelly' Blu-ray: Real-Life Diary of a Call Girl

The recent Cinema Libre Studio Blu-ray release of the 2016 biopic docudrama "Nelly" contributes to the pile of proof that truth often is more entertaining than fiction, One also wonders why this tale of titular call girl Nelly Arcan is not as large of an international phenomenon as her inaugural novel Whore.  One further speculates about the preparation of star Mylene Mackay, who does a superb job, 

The following CLS trailer for "Nelly" nicely illustrates the "Hannah Montana" aspect of the life of Nelly; we further see that she would be happy to be Jackie. A personal bonus is the final line in this trailer providing an awesome elevator speech.



In typical docudrama/biopic fashion, we meet Nelly as an awkward teen performing at a school talent show before watching her show off skills that she develops later in life. A "losin' it" scene is one of the best in the film and drives much of the action.

We also see Nelly sitting at (as opposed to laying on) a desk as she works on the aforementioned book. Her inner monologue shows that the theme of a blurred line between truth and fiction extends to her work.

Nelly experiences a dream-come-true for every aspiring writer when a publisher enthusiastically responds to Whore. That book subsequently becoming one of the hottest pieces of prose out there brings things to the next level. 

The emotional issues with which Nelly is dealing explains why she does not quit her day job. Her increasingly playful therapy sessions are highlights in the film. 

Witnessing the occupational hazards that Nelly experiences reminds us that working girls do not have it easy. Even finding a man, who may no longer be paying for the milk, wanting to put a ring on it has complications., This is not to mention the guy who likes to play rough.

The trauma related to the oldest profession takes its toll on the writing career of Nelly; the public not being as eager to buy what she is selling is an apt metaphor for her other career,

The conclusion is not surprising, but the manner in which it occurs is unexpected. This further puts a human face on practitioners of a trade on which society frowns, Very few of us even think that these pros can form a coherent sentence. 

The bigger picture is that "Nelly" reminds us that we really do not know the "stuff" with which one must deal with in his or her life and what is going on in their head. The grass (or ass) may seem greener on the other side but usually is not. 

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