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Date Rape for Pay: Sleeping Beauty Trailer

By Cindy Davis | Posted Under Trailers | Comments (37)

Emily_Browning.jpg

I’m a little lost here, so I might need some Pajibaid. Apparently, drugging a girl and selling her to men for sex, under the guise of an artsy fartsy film is cool. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good, erotic movie—but after watching this trailer, I don’t get that happy-horny feeling. I mostly have a desire to yawn. And when a trailer has to tell me it’s “extraordinary,” “sensuous” and “unafraid,” the film is likely none of those things. But in all fairness, let me give you the set-up: Sucker Punch’s Emily Browning decides to join a house of ill repute. Her thing is to take a bunch of sleeping pills and then let the men have their way with her. I’m a little lost as to why men want to have their way with someone who is asleep the whole time; aren’t most men who see prostitutes married and looking for someone more exciting or adventurous than their wives? Is there a big market for sleepy women? The official film statement describes Lucy (Browning) as “a young university student who is drawn into a hidden world of beauty and desire.” Here’s the trailer, let me know if any of your special parts are left buzzing:

Sleeping Beauty from Pollen Digital on Vimeo.

Sleeping Beauty also stars Michael Dorman (Daybreakers), Mirrah Foulkes (Animal Kingdom) and Rachel Blake (Lantana) and is written and directed by Australian novelist and first-time director, Julia Leigh. I don’t know if she fell asleep and slept with somebody, but somehow her film was selected to premiere at the 2011 Cannes film festival. So what’s the word, does sleepy sex turn you on?









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Comments

Call me old fashioned, but a like a little pillow talk afterwards. And while Ms. Browning would totally do it for me, not in a vegetative state.

Posted by: Little Boy Blue at April 17, 2011 3:23 PM

Apparently, drugging a girl and selling her to men for sex, under the guise of an artsy fartsy film is cool.
This reminded me of something...and after a moment I realized what:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WDly1Oc_P4

Not only does the Missing Persons video from the 80s offer more of a plot, it is actually both artier and more erotic than that stupid trailer. Not that that's difficult.

Posted by: Jerce at April 17, 2011 3:24 PM

I don't get it. If the girl's sleeping, how's she going to get up and make me a sandwich after?

Posted by: Ish at April 17, 2011 3:40 PM

I'm sorry but WTF!? This looks absolutely ridiculous.

Jane Campion must have been a little bit too excited to support a pretty movie.

Posted by: grace b at April 17, 2011 3:53 PM

oy. looks pretty disturbing to me. I am interested in seeing it though Im not going to lie.

Posted by: dinka at April 17, 2011 4:08 PM

@Jerce

Wow - first of all, I miss the 80s. Second of all, apparently Lady Gaga is the reincarnation of the lead singer of Missing Persons.

Posted by: MM at April 17, 2011 4:11 PM

Sigh....Sucker Punch and now Sleeping Beauty.

About what time did the film world redefine empowered women as those wearing a whore-fetish wardrobe while in a coma fantasies to cope with being raped and literal whores who fulfill coma-rape fantasy fetishes?

Posted by: bleujayone at April 17, 2011 4:21 PM

I kinda think they're just listening to popular culture, because whore-fetish wardrobes are about as common now stripper poles in living rooms.

I believe the sleep fetish has to do with rape fantasies mostly. Rape without all the nasty scratching and kicking and such.

Posted by: Protoguy at April 17, 2011 4:32 PM

You clearly do not appreciate the empowerment that comes with choosing to be incapacitated for your remunerated violation.

Posted by: Mrs. Julien at April 17, 2011 5:02 PM

No, I am not turned on. Is that what the film is going for though? The trailer reads more like an artsy horror flick to me. This reminds me of Lilya 4-Ever, which I had to stop watching because it was so incredibly distressing, yet a friend of mine blasted it for glorifying forced prostitution. Apparently I can't tell when things are supposed to be salaciously appealing or just heartbreaking.

Posted by: mb at April 17, 2011 5:02 PM

Unfortunately, what is heartbreaking for some is salaciously appealing to others. Like Boondock Saints

Posted by: Protoguy at April 17, 2011 5:04 PM

Protoguy has it right. There are so many men in this world who don't give a hell about whether who they're doing it with actually wants to, nevermind the woman even being "present" for it. It's all about the man's pleasure, because sex is for men don'tcha know.

Posted by: Rest In Peace at April 17, 2011 5:04 PM

I'm just disappointed that Jane Campion's name is attached to this. She usually seems to do great things for women in film while this seems like a big step backward.

Posted by: beckster at April 17, 2011 5:28 PM

I'm instantly both repulsed by the concept... and reminded of Razor Molly from Neuromancer by William Gibson. It has hints and overtones of her backstory, except I don't imagine the film takes it quite so far. Or has quite the same ending as Molly's tale did.

Ugh. That's just... squick. I think I'm going to go wash my eyes with bleach now. That was profoundly unpleasant to watch.

Posted by: Wintermute at April 17, 2011 5:28 PM

It's not really rape, it's sudden unexpected sex.

Posted by: BarbadoSlim at April 17, 2011 5:30 PM

I wonder how many oblivious parents are going to take their kids to this thinking it's the Disney fantasy.

Posted by: fracas at April 17, 2011 5:35 PM

There is a surprising quantity of "sleeping women" pron on the internet for your perusal. A surprising quantity.

Well, I was surprised, anyway.

Posted by: Anna von Beav at April 17, 2011 5:37 PM

Also, I just remembered how I would occasionally wake up with my ex in me. Huh. Still so glad that engagement never worked out.

And ALSO, this is like the bastard child of Dollhouse and the porn-y version of Sleeping Beauty that Ann Rice wrote ("Beauty's Punishment," I believe was the first in the trilogy?) under A. N. Roquelaure.

Posted by: Anna von Beav at April 17, 2011 5:49 PM

Sorry, no: "The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty" was the first. Punishment was # 2, then "Beauty's Release" was the last.

Which also reminds me that I loaned out my copy of Claiming to a friend several years ago. I am pretty sure I don't want that copy back from that friend.

Posted by: Anna von Beav at April 17, 2011 5:52 PM

"Also, I just remembered how I would occasionally wake up with my ex in me. Huh. Still so glad that engagement never worked out..."

*jaw drops*

Uuuh, that was unexpected.

Posted by: BarbadoSlim at April 17, 2011 5:55 PM

Holy rattlesnakes. I just realized she was Violet Baudelaire! What is that nice young girl doing hanging out with Zack Snyder!
She should be inventing something or running away from Count Olaf! They can't even make more Series of Unfortunate Events movies now that she's ... like this.
(I might be the only one asking for more from that series)

Posted by: Optimus Rhyme at April 17, 2011 6:31 PM

I have all three of Rice's Sleeping Beauty novels. This movie can't hold a candle to any random paragraph from those books.

(And yes, I've read de Sade as well.)

Posted by: The Wanderer at April 17, 2011 6:54 PM

I too hoped this was based on Anne Rice's novels.
Now that is some fancy porn! BDSM all dressed up in fancy clothes and looking hardly sleazy at all.

Posted by: logan at April 17, 2011 7:02 PM

Uuuh, that was unexpected.

...which part?

Posted by: Anna von Beav at April 17, 2011 8:39 PM

I don't see enough in that trailer to judge the concept. I think there might be more to it than "girl takes sleeping pills to attract costumers at whorehouse," though.

I see two options at play for the Cannes screening.

1) Whoever was in charge of festival programming went with shock value over substance, knowing the poorly-worded concept on paper would draw in an audience. I mean, even Lloyd Kaufman has gotten a film screened at Cannes and he makes schlocky exploitative gore-fests with tons of gratuitous sex and slapstick violence.

2) This is legitimately a well-made adventurous character study of a film trying to explore what would drive a young woman into a life of prostitution at any cost to her health and well-being. It debuts a new female directorial voice (a big draw for international festivals) and features a strong cast of rising stars.

I'm leaning towards the first possibility, though that doesn't necessarily stop the second from being true. Antichrist probably only played Cannes because of the sexual shock value, but it also featured two fantastic leading performances and some of Lars von Trier's most adventurous directorial decisions since shooting The Idiots. The trailer is reminding me of a film I can't remember the name of, though I think it was a Japanese drama/thriller. It feels as unsettling as Noriko's Dinner Table but that's not the film I'm thinking of.

Posted by: Robert at April 17, 2011 8:48 PM

This makes me sad in many levels.

One; Although I myself can't see the allure, i know the existence, and there are so much, of this fetish/fantasy. I can kind of understand it as some combination of rape fantasy and forbidden act thing and desperate act for some whose partner is unreasonably unwilling or too/tired busy to be responsive. I have read about people who do have it as a FETISH in Savage Love and many places.

Two: Jane Campion? Why? Emily Browning maybe I can understand on the level of Character Study but am i to believe there is some quality and merit to this film because Jane Campion is attached to it? Emily Browning is sure pretty tho.

Three: I can see the "woman willingly making herself sleep to be a vessel of rich men fantasy" gonna appeal to torture porn demography and power play loving portion of men. In light if the current economy and being in SE Asian country and seeing Rich Powerful Men and Young Pretty Thing exploiting each other, this also makes me angry in addition to being sad. Deep and profound anger that make me want to exterminate humanity in my dark moment before we all turn into something disgusting.

Still, a part of me is curious to see how they will play this. And that Emily Browning is so so pretty....

Posted by: yocean at April 17, 2011 9:59 PM

she's trying hard to ruin Lemony Snicket's re-run in the future for me and i think it just worked.

Posted by: haplo at April 17, 2011 10:04 PM

I don't understand why some of the commentators get into blaming the men. She chose to be there and have sleepy sex with rich old white guys, since they are the only ones that can pay for that (poor people just get them drunk).

Posted by: vhrico at April 18, 2011 1:01 AM

Yeah. I'm under the impression that it's a gimmick. Especially with the line, "other girls will be there with different responsibilities." Also, it can't be that bad if she volunteers.

Apparently, drugging a girl and selling her to men for sex, under the guise of an artsy fartsy film is cool.
If this was like...Taken...where they force the drugs into their arms and keep them doped up, I could understand that line.

Anyway, long story short...it's a fetish film.

Posted by: DeistBrawler at April 18, 2011 1:54 AM

Hmm, I can honestly say I thought about it quite a lot when I was married, as my ex was a black-out drunk and sex was non-existent for the last year of our marriage. Never acted on it, but I can see it happening. I wouldn't classify that as fetish as much as sad desperation.

Also, I did have a girlfriend who told me she thought it would be cool if I did the deed while she was asleep, but again, never acted on it.

I don't understand the fetish really, but I would speculate that, like a lot of fetishes, it probably originated in childhood. I can also imagine that some men may desire a sleeping woman simply due to shame or shyness. They can take do the act without the fear of judgment, or do what they would be too timid or embarrassed to ask for.

Posted by: Protoguy at April 18, 2011 3:32 AM

LARGE

TEXT

presents

BORING

FILM

Posted by: redvsion at April 18, 2011 3:36 AM

Why does watching this trailer giving me deja vu...

Posted by: arrrghzi at April 18, 2011 5:52 AM

Every film I've ever seen using those kinds of trailers, with that exact font for the titles, little to no music, and very ominous and amorphous if there is ANY, has been terribly, terrible boring.
I love Emily Browning and this trailer is somewhat intriguing, but this could be dull as shit.

Also, Emily, you don't need to remind us you're a grown up by doing a lot of movies in which you're victimized sexually...I dont...I don't know why you would think we want that.
Did we do or say something to give you that impression? Because...no.


Protoguy, I know women who are 'okay' with the idea of their body being used while they're totally out of it. It IS weird, such an odd fetish, and like you say, probably has some origin in their childhood or some profound sexual 'awakening', pun not intended. I know some people do go for the sleeping thing because they're actually into the DEAD thing, which is EVEN CREEPIER. Me personally, I wonder about anyone who gets off on fucking a sleeping person or being fucked while sleeping/passed out drunk.

Maybe, MAYBE she takes sleeping pills because then she doesn't have to give consent so she can tell herself 'I'm not selling sex, I sell company and time and then I pass out and if they fuck me that doesn't make me a hooker it makes them a douchebag'

Sort of? Like ass backwards logic that allow her to do what she's doing.

Posted by: Nadine at April 18, 2011 10:25 AM

I'm just disappointed that Jane Campion's name is attached to this. She usually seems to do great things for women in film while this seems like a big step backward.

Posted by: beckster at April 17, 2011 5:28 PM

Yes, because The Piano was all about female empowerment.

Anyway, I'm with DeistBrawler on this one. It looks more like a fetish film, a slightly less batshit-insane version of Eyes Wide Shut than a "date rape for pay" movie.


Posted by: JustBill at April 18, 2011 1:21 PM

I didn't find the trailer boring at all. It actually filled me with dread, as though it's commentary on the sexualization of rape (the sex with an unconscious girl thing is a very common rape fantasy).
It thoroughly creeped me out. I just don't know if that's what it's meant to do.

Posted by: chinchilla at April 18, 2011 1:23 PM

Ah, The Piano.

Worst. Film. Ever.


For some reason this reminds me of the film Birth.

Posted by: jill at April 18, 2011 7:32 PM

I don't think The Piano was that bad. I mean, not the best out there, but it was good. I took 14 years of classical piano as a kid, and while I was never purchased and moved to a savage island, I still appreciate how the piano can be an escape and a haven in strange times.

Plus, Harvey Keitel's penis.

Posted by: The Gay at April 20, 2011 11:40 PM