218. You Don't Nomi; movie review

YOU DON'T NOMI
Cert 18
92 mins
BBFC advice: Contains sexual violence, strong bloody violence, sex, nudity

I have never watched Showgirls but, boy, after watching this, I certainly will do.
You Don't Nomi gives a new assessment of a movie which had a tidal wave of criticism when it was released in 1995.
Director Paul Verhoeven turned up to collect his Razzie for Worst Director of the year as a tacit admittance of it being a turkey.
But more than 20 years later, the movie still divides opinion, from those who see it as exploitative voyeur porn to others who claim it has significant artistic merit.
It is to the great credit to director Jeffrey McHale that I was engaged by You Don't Nomi without previously being aware of its subject matter.
And, no, it wasn't because of the avalanche of shots of a youthful Elizabeth Berkley's top half.
The exploitation of former Saved By The Bell actress Berkley is one of the subjects addressed during this documentary.
But mostly to the fore is the debate about whether Verhoeven is a misogynist of the worst kind. Despite his defenders, the evidence would suggest that he and his writer and collaborator, Joe Eszterhas, are guilty as charged.
This is demonstrated through a catalogue of work with a common thread of female exploitation. Among many others, is the example of Sharon Stone's uncrossed legs scene in Basic Instinct. She has since said she did not know how it was going to be used.
Sure, there are those who claim there is artistry in Showgirls' cinematography and there are praiseworthy nuances in the interaction between characters.
So, is it garbage or a masterpiece? You have pays your price and you take your choice - or in my case, you line up to watch Showgirls.

Reasons to watch: Interesting analysis of an infamous movie
Reasons to avoid: If you haven't seen Showgirls

Laughs: None
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: Yes
Overall rating: 6/10

Did you know? Madonna was considered for the part of Cristal Connors, which eventually went to Gina Gershon.

The final word. Elizabeth Berkley, talking to an audience at the 20th anniversary of Showgirls - “1995 was such a different time, where taking risks like that were not embraced. They were laughed at. They were shamed publicly. To be a young girl in the centre of that was something that was quite difficult. But I found my own resilience and my power and my confidence – not only through what I had to find out but because of you guys.”

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