[HanCinema's Film Review] "Casa Amor, Exclusive for Ladies"

Based on the Brazilian movie "De Pernas pro Ar", "Casa Amor, Exclusive for Ladies" tells the story of Bo-hee (played by Cho Yeo-jeong), who is forced by Nan-hee (played by Clara) to answer the difficult questions in life. Like, would the world be a better place if all women made liberal use of dildos? Or are dildos a deadly instrument threatening death? Actually, it turns out that dildos are visual aids that can be used in all manner of situations to make humorous jokes.

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Admittedly this is probably more due to the humorous stylings of director Jeong Beom-sik than it is an inherent quality of dildos. Take the expansive scene where Bo-hee goes to work at the toy office. Note the tiny cars, the elaborate trolley systems, and the sing-songy childrens' music about how wonderful it is to live in a magical world of toys. Bo-hee's job is apparently the Willy Wonka of toy production, complete with ridiculous hats and believe me, however hard I try, I cannot describe in words how utterly bizarre this entire sequence looks in execution.

Then the rest of the movie has Bo-hee trying to replicate the same environment...with dildos. In case you haven't figured it out by now, "Casa Amor, Exclusive for Ladies" is actually kind of gross. One of the tamer jokes involves the use of sex handcuffs and a BDSM gag. Bo-hee and Nan-hee then manage to find other bizarre marketing strategies for such objects as condoms, edible underwear, and the orgasm rabbit.

This is very dirty humor and I wouldn't hold it against anyone for not wanting to watch "Casa Amor, Exclusive for Ladies" just as a matter of taste preferences. Even so, nearly all of the jokes here hit spot on. The situations are just so absurd- but they are absurd in a way that is a surprisingly apt metaphor for sex itself, an act during which people are normally willing to accept much grosser behavior than would ever be tolerated in normal everyday life.

...Or not, The chief portion of Bo-hee's character arc is her transition from a woman who's unreasonably frigid, to one who orgasms too much, until finally becoming one who can balance sex, work and family life in a satisfactory way. This works decently enough when integrated into to the movie's more comedic elements, although serious plot points tend to falter by comparison. There just isn't any good way to transition from the ice cream dance to a desperate hospital scene.

Regardless, as a comedic product "Casa Amor, Exclusive for Ladies" is some pretty decent stuff. Inappropriate laughter, inappropriate conversations, full analysis regarding the benefits and downsides of sex toys, and every so often, a shower of dildos? This is a movie...well, honestly it's a movie for perverts but then that's the whole point isn't it? All of us, somewhere deep down inside, are perverted one way or the other. You just gotta know when to lock that naughty girl up and when to let her run wild.

Review by William Schwartz

"Casa Amor, Exclusive for Ladies" is directed by Jeong Beom-sik and features Cho Yeo-jeong, Clara and Kim Tae-woo.