The well-titled "Redemption" is a pleasant surprise: a very entertaining REAL movie by Stormy Daniels, her best since "Unbridled" in a similar genre six years ago and also the best Adam & Eve release in recent memory.
It starts off with familiar elements from the hit "Yellowstone" series, but takes a more traditional tack, reflecting writer-director Stormy's affection for old-fashioned Hollywood movies, which she demonstrated in so many fine Wicked Pictures releases over the years. It's an Adult soap opera featuring, like "Unbridled", Stormy's love for horses and horseback riding. Story is that surefire chestnut: a family saga centering on "saving the ranch", in this case one that's been in Stormy's family for six generations.
Pic opens with the death of Stormy's dad (nicely played by cameraman Steve Matthews), who leaves the ranch to Stormy. It's deep in debt and an evil real estate developer (played by DJ Loupe) is anxious to buy her out. Intertwined subplots concern the film's star, talented Laney Grey playing Stormy's daughter -who goes from a romance with ranch hand Will Pounder to true love by fadeout with Jay Romero; family secrets concerning Stormy, Laney and ranch foreman Barrett Blade (whose casting closely resembles Cole Hauser of "Yellowstone" right down to his hat!), and plenty of melodrama and plot twists.
The success of the movie is due to Stormy's deft balance of story/characters with the XXX content, in stark contrast to current practice. Nearly all porn features in recent years with stories devolve into a set of half hour-plus uninterrupted sex vignettes, connected by a bare minimum of story/acting. "Redemption" has strong enough story values and fine acting to yield, with pruning of explicitness from the sex scenes, to potentially yield a quality feature-length softcore version for VOD streaming/late-night cable.
Not to spoil the fun, there are certain elements worth revealing: the "meet-cute" for Laney and Jay has her changing his Dodge Challenger's tire for the helpless city boy when she first encounters him having car trouble; fine performances (by the ensemble cast) especially by Stormy and Aiden Ashley as her lesbian sister; and a concise outdoor XXX scene for veterans Daniels and Blade (who I had assumed were playing just NonSex character roles) late in the show, with Stormy now unglamorous, a fleshy "mature" performer a la Aiden Starr.
Once the five requisite sex scenes have been delivered, Stormy's script delivers a terrific and lengthy coda tying up all the plot threads magnificently -packing tons of drama and sentimentality in a final 15 minutes.
It plays as a real movie with sex included, not the customary Gonzo-plus fleeting dollops of fake-story. Fellow adult filmmakers should take a look at this one and see what opportunities for quality they are missing by all going over to the darkside -namely assuming all Adult Entertainment consumers crave all-sex.
Film is dedicated to the fine Adult actress Amber Rayne, who died tragically seven years ago.
