click for trailer

Portrait of a Call Girl

Elegant Angel

Genre: Feature, Jessie Andrews

click for Podcast by Jessie Andrews and company

Director/Writer/Editor: Graham Travis

Cast: Jessie Andrews, Eric John, Manuel Ferrara, Jay Crew, Mick Blue, Ramon Nomar, Alex Gonz, Danny Mountain, Bill Bailey, Johnny Fender, Mike Fromme, Tommy Pistol
Non-sex roles: Zoe Holloway, Penelope Kay, Lexi Swallows, Tina Lee, Double Dee, Wallace, Darla Crane, Eric Swiss, Alec Knight, Paula Monroe, Sissy Wenger, Joaquin, Fabian Alomar, Alan Stafford, Richie, LT Turner, Hooks, Nora Sky, Chad Alva, TJ Diggins, Jim Orlando

Length: 147:55 minutes

the rest of the chapters

Date of Production: 7/23/2011 (per box cover & credits); 7/15/2011 (per trailer)

Extras: First off, there was a slip cover holding the DVD case, all the rest of the extras found on the second disc (thankfully, the entire movie was contained on the first disc). The second disc had a feature-only version (no hardcore sex included) lasting 79:29 minutes. Say what you will but even without the sex, maybe because of it, the movie compared favorably to a great many independent films shown in the scores of film festivals and art house theaters (and I have been watching such mainstream movies for a very long time). Still, the sex was important to many aspects of the movie so if you’re going to use this version to persuade someone that a porno can be cerebrally entertaining too, make the hard sell to get your squeamish friends to watch the full version too. The next extra was the 6:59 minute long Behind the Scenes feature, Mason interviewing Jessie on three of the locations.

Then came a 3:36 minute interview with Jessie Andrews, a 6:50 EA camera test (the production used some new equipment and they wanted to try it out rather than learn on the job of the movie), and the 54:28 minute long EA Podcast (it was the third in the series, I have a link to it above) where Roy, Bossman Hall, Mason, Jessie Andrews, and Katie St. Ives spoke at length about the movie and related topics. For the record, the company’s podcasts are free and well worth listening too so check out their website for more on that. There was then a bonus scene from “Teach Me” lasting a whopping 53:47 minutes (reviewed below) and another from “Party Girls” lasting 28:49 minutes (also described below). Then came 1:59 minutes of Deleted Scenes, 2:25 minutes of bloopers, a photogallery, some website information, the teaser trailer (linked above), and 3 more quality trailers well worth watching.

Condoms: None

Jessie Andrews with Eric

Audio/Video Quality: Portrait of a Call Girl was presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen as shot by director Graham Travis for Elegant Angel. The videography was handled by Mason, Carlos Dee, and Alex Ladd (who also lit the production) so those familiar with their other work will appreciate the added quality of the visuals, Graham reportedly spending “far too much time” in the editing bay polishing this one up for months in what was certainly the most excellent example of editing that I have seen in recent memory. The video bitrate was almost always hovering in the 6.3 Mbps range or above in the SD version (making me drool to see the high definition version on Blu-ray), the “look” of the movie well in keeping with far higher budget mainstream independent films. That the company went out and bought some brand new DSLR cameras to shoot it in 1080p was just the icing on the cake, no massive use of gels, filters, and lighting tricks to water down the visuals as others do. The sex was not shot to glamorize the action but it was still strokable, the raw energy in keeping with company gonzo efforts but channeled slightly differently. There was a lot going on though, both on a technical level and thematically (lots of touches many will not see unless pointed out), making me wish Graham’s talents were allowed more shots at greatness each year (for example, I’m still waiting for “Pornstar Superheroes 2” more than just about anything else whispered about at Elegant or elsewhere). The audio was offered up in 2.0 Dolby Digital English using a bitrate of 256 Kbps and sampling rate of 48 kHz. The credits listed Bruce Carter as the guy in charge of the aural experience, the man using works from “Production Trax” and “Incompetech” as well as some fine balancing between the vocals, ambient noises, and score; along with the editing making these two aspects almost certain to win or place well in any technical award categories now that award time is nearly here.

Jessie Andrews with Manuel Ferrara

Body of Review: Graham Travis is one of the superstars making Elegant Angel the powerhouse it is today, his superior Pornstar Superheroes kicking ass last year in the award show process. This departure from the company norm of providing some of the very best gonzo porn currently available took some getting used to but showed many that Elegant Angel could “do it all” by beating out the so-called “feature” companies at their own game, making many wonder when they would try it all again. With Portrait of a Call Girl, Graham once more delves into the feature market, the double disc set including a wealth of extras but more than that, a superior movie in the process. Starring hotty Jessie Andrews, the movie is a look at a high priced call girl on the road to self discovery, but unlike most of what is on the market, the movie offers some sizzling hot sex scenes full of raw energy and relevance to the role; a far cry from the tacked on sex you will typically see in competitors. The initial buzz about the movie has been it is like the mainstream Steven Soderbergh cross over flick “The Girlfriend Experience” but in truth, this is so much better on so many levels (remember that the premise of the mainstream art film was about an emotionally devoid hooker while this allows Jessie to express a full range of emotions) and other than focusing on someone that sells sex for money, they are nothing alike.

Jessie Andrews with Jay

The company website describes the movie like this: “Elle is a character who is a call girl with issues in her past. Through a series of sexual experiences she is able to find and accept herself, and discover the possibilities of personal freedom. She is young, somewhat naive, and she has done wrong. She is romanced by materialism, and a type of lifestyle, but deep down something isn't right about the way she feels about herself. This manifests itself in her sexual emotions, and her dynamics, and this enables her to experience and come to terms with her deeper feelings of guilt and a lack of self worth. The story is intended to be a visually poetic and sexually powerful journey towards acquiring the freedom she has been searching for by being honest with herself, taking responsibility, and making amends.” Here’s a brief look at the scenes by cast and action, noting that no condoms were used for those still interested:

Jessie Andrews (from scene #4)

Scene One: Jessie Andrews, the fetching young hotty featured on the front cover, was up first in eveningwear as she seduced much older Eric John. She was gentle and had a sense of playfulness, caressing his package before removing his pants and her attire to give him a blowjob. Rather than just inhale his cock as most such scenes would do, she coaxed him to lightly jerk off as she sucked his nuts, taking over for him as she grew increasingly enthusiastic at orally servicing him. Her superior eye contact and hand to gland combat led to some throating, the short scene no less powerful as she worked out a nut of genetic juice to her face (to his delight).

Jessie Andrews during the blowbang

Scene Two: Jessie Andrews, this time her all natural body wearing fetish gear (thigh high leggings and gloves up to her biceps), her fee paid by businessman Manuel Ferrara. She walked about the house and was soon sitting in front of him while masturbating her hairy snatch, Manuel attaching a pony girl riding bit in her mouth, Jessie crawling around as her slobber lubed up the device until he could take no more. She threw a temper tantrum that he was not catering to her ego and after she smashed an expensive vase, he grabbed her by the throat and read her the riot act sexually. He muscled her to the couch and was slapping her ass, the reddened cheeks glowing as he started going down on her actively. Jessie then was subjected to his probing pecker pounding her mouth, the passion displayed by both of them growing along with the chemistry as they continued playing. She inhaled his cock and stroked him off as though trying to get him off early, the gal tossing his salad until they started banging vaginally as she rubbed her clitoris. There was an air of danger this time missing from the opening scene, the possibility of Manuel going too far almost a given even though she seemed to adore him. He choked her with his foot and both did some mutual masturbation, both of them covered in sweat as the scene continued. It ended when he glazed her face in population pudding, the mixed signals of how he treated her versus how she wanted to be treated a powerful testament to the connection they forged. This time, Jessie reminded me of a younger version of Rita Faltoyano learning her trade, an added bonus for me.

Jessie Andrews getting off while being choked out during the blowbang

Scene Three: Jessie Andrews, this time wearing a neon blue anime cosplay wig, was up next with aging lothario Jay Crew, their dinner “date” resulting in some character exposition before he was pounding her pussy silly in doggy on the hotel room bed. While the scene did not cover all the bases from the beginning, a problem with so many productions that show directors feel the need to show it all rather than just the parts that work, the heat was evident given her respiration rate, flush response, and coating of sweat. Jay kept trying to kiss her during short breaks too, something figured into her dynamic as the show continued. He launched a blast of spunk to her mouth to end it, Jay slipping away without notice to let her clean up.

The Extras disc

Scene Four: Jessie Andrews, once again dressed to the hilt in a black dress, was then up in a familiar home where she catered to the physical needs of Mick Blue and Ramon Nomar, taking the cash in advance after her humanity was tested in the mean streets. Jessie turned up the music and started a seductive tease on the deck over the skyline, ending up inside where she kissed, caressed, and aggressively blew the men in a smooth transition. The guys looked a bit light in the loafers given their all black attire but when push came to shove, they easily shoved their peckers down her willing throat as she gave them sloppy head. She alternated between the men orally, using her hands as needed to keep them in a fluffed up state of mind, moving to the expansive black couch where she spread her legs to expand her repertoire to some active vaginal riding. Jessie was loud and put on quite a show here, displaying a true desire to get her partners off orally and using her pussy to full effect, even doing double vaginal penetration (DPP) though her one on one with Mick showed the most chemistry in my opinion. This was almost an Olympic sport of a scene given the degree of energy involved, differing from the previous scenes in a way that those who watch closely might appreciate as being a refreshing change of pace from the often formulaic scenes so common in the industry. It did end with Jessie kneeling between the men and them rubbing out loads of splooge on her face but the look she gave both of them (a look of satisfaction and appreciation both), added to the replay value.

Scene Five: Jessie Andrews, up last wearing a simple white dress, was procured by the infamous LT Turner to participate in a six man blowbang featuring Alex Gonz, Danny Mountain, Bill Bailey, Johnny Fender, Mike Fromme, and Tommy Pistol. The men were all dressed alike in black while wearing masks, Jessie initially sporting a blindfold as she passionately worked the guys over using her mouth to blow them and hands to jerk them off. It started out slowly but the tempo increased as things progressed, her slobber getting messy though she did not care in the slightest. The guys would occasionally feel her boobs or finger her but the throating action and slight rough stuff (like choking her or slapping her erect nipples) was about as far as they went. She removed her blindfold to more accurately address the needs of the men, rubbing out her own orgasm as they completely glazed her face with spunk, nearly choking her out during her own completion.

Bonus Scene: Party Girls: Asa Akira, Jessie Andrews: Asa Akira and Jessie Andrews, a couple of lean young hotties with nice curves and party girl attitudes, were up next in a sole lesbian scene together after a night on the town. The same club style footage from the first scene was included, their trampy attire barely covering their lithe young bodies as they shook their money makers and kissed. They ended up in a white room with their tiny lingerie on the floor, kissing and pawing each other on the white couch before going down loudly. There was some choking and rimming taking place too, some dry humping ending the sexual portion of the tryst.

Bonus Scene: Teach Me: Julia Ann, Jessie Andrews: “After a very sincere opening segment, Julia Ann and Jessie Andrews kiss. The scene is very tender and sweet. Even though this pair does not have the personal chemistry like the ladies in scene one, the viewer continues to feel confident that Julia Ann will take good care of her partner and create solid steam while doing it. After admiring Jessie's body with her touch, the blonde beauty rubs and taps her pussy well. Later, she moves to a better position so that she can taste her inner juices momentarily. Thus far, this scene suits the title of this movie perfectly as Julia Ann shows the girl how to pleasure a woman by her slow behavior. She is great at enhancing and prolonging a sensual mood. After the blonde hottie sucks her juicebox, Jessie works on the woman's sensual plaything with determined effort. Her behavior gets Julia Ann off extremely well. Julia Ann is the more sensuous woman. However, both ladies still provide very heated pussy workouts during their lengthy and emotional scene.” (George the Apache Warrior)

Summary: Portrait of a Call Girl by director Graham Travis for Elegant Angel was the rarity that combined sex and story in a meaningful way; offering feature fans a lot to appreciate while raincoaters will still delight in the strength of the sex scenes. The sex was not the polished up, glossed over, contract girl couples flick sex either; it was the kind that delivered the goods on multiple levels and will appeal to those who like things on the rough side. Jessie Andrews proved what so many of the Xcritic staff have said about her sexual prowess too, enhancing that with an ability to actually act rather than imitate, so you really cannot go wrong here unless you are looking for a gonzo stroke flick (which Elegant Angel also excels at) or some fluffy couples-sex romp indicative of women going through the motions (which Elegant does not excel at). It might be wrong to say that this is the latest in a very long line of “star maker” roles even though Elegant has fulfilled that role exceptionally well in recent years but I suspect that Jessie will now have expanded her options into a mainstream career if she chooses. In terms of the rating, the strokability, replay value, extras, and overall quality of Portrait of a Call Girl earned an Xcritic Pick for going well above the pack in many ways. In a time when the parody genre seems to get the most attention, Travis and Elegant show the rest of the industry that quality fuck flicks can be made without pandering and I for one appreciate it.