Genre: All-Sex, Couples Erotica

Date of Production: Feb 20 2018

Director: Various

Cast: Luna Ruiz, Ena Sweet, Silvia Rubi, Lobo, Marius, Gabe Tonic

Length: 1 hour, 29 minutes

Extras: Cumshot Compilation

Condoms: No

Audio/Video Quality: HD

Overview:

Real filmmaking is not a lost art in the world of porn, Not if Verso Cinema has anything to do with it.

Erotic Caresses is a delightful blend of storytelling, sexual tension and eroticism in five short films. And I say short film in the truest sense. Although mostly void of dialogue, the scenes develop with a clear beginning, middle and end. It isn’t just about awesome sex, it’s about the buildup and anticipation, as well as that post-coital bliss.

Verso Cinema is an international collective of mainstream filmmakers who have banded together to produce a unique cinematic erotic experience. Many of the directors had never worked in pornography before, which lends to a different approach to sex scenes than their often formulaic counterparts in traditional porno. The whole thing feels like a collection of big-screen sex scenes and is bound to knock your socks off.

Instead of hiring A-list talent, Verso went with lesser known Spanish adult performers. As much as we might love to watch yet another Adriana Chechik romp, it’s exciting to see the smoldering sexuality of these fresh faces.

Scene 1:

Candles, blindfolds and food-play set the stage for director Julia McDonell’s vision of romance.

That grid of candles is the first thing that hits you as the scene fades in. Situated in the middle is a blindfolded Luna Ruiz flanked by Lobo’s intense stare. In front of her, is a cake, which becomes central to Lobo’s art of the tease.

Breaking from conventional porn, McDonell employs dim lighting and long shadows. The result are warm skin-tones and dramatic bodyscapes. I really like the way the lighting works when Ruiz is on her back; the darkness keeps the genitals mysterious with the nipple prominently towering in the light with each precious areola bump casting a glorious shadow.

It’s about the journey, not the destination. The pace is kept slow and natural, with close ups to show emotion and enhance storytelling. There’s a narrow shot on the unclasping of the bra, then a gradual pan towards the breast. Each shot is planned and purposeful.

Sexually, the scene smolders with sensory play and hand holding, and features a delightful sequence of delicate sex maneuvers ranging from oral to gentle fucking.

Sometimes erotica is about what you can’t see. As such, the focus shifts to closeups on the mouth or a knee, inviting the imagination to run wild. They don’t focus on the cumshot as the end-all-be-all either. This scene is about romance, and when the deed is done, there’s this denouement with gentle kisses. And then there’s a whole sequence with Lubo blowing out the candles one by one. Beautiful.

Scene 2:

“Come With Me Until the End” is your bridge between regular porno and erotic art. It’s a bathtub scene featuring a nude Ena Sweet in bright lighting. Once Marius steps in and towels her dry, it becomes apparent where we’re headed.

Because of Ena Sweet’s performance, this is the hottest scene of the film. A porn performer since 2014, Sweet knows how to put on a show. From her sultry tongue flicks mid-blowjob to those raucous ass-rolls in sideways-missionary, she really gives you something to see! And then there’s that creampie, an unexpected delight.

Forgive me for getting personal dear reader, but you have not lived until you have eaten pussy right after a bubble-bath. It’s only natural for Marius to prop Sweet upon the counter and taste that nectar.

It’s that change of taste and texture as that pussy goes from squeaky-clean to soaking wet that makes cunnilingus so exciting. Knowingly or not, director Jean Pierre Mendoza highlights that joy with Marius’ second go at oral. The closeup lingers straight-on Sweet’s sweet while Marius licks at an angle. You can see their delight in the wide-shots while that tight angle reveals Sweet’s glistening and glamorous slit.

For all of it’s good, there are some oddities. There’s a hard cut from romancing the poon to penetration. You never see that first thrust, instead there’s just this sudden closeup and then they’re fucking.

And there’s the hallway, which offers beautifully framed shots from outside looking in, but feels cluttered with the camera situated in the opposite direction.

I like how there’s this shot of Marius’ feet and only Sweet’s butt framed in the right third. Then the camera pans over. It’s very Kubrickesque were it not for all of the cuts. There’s a lot of different shots stitched together which adds variety, but can feel choppy at times.

Scene 3:

Tribal makeup, food porn and sensory play. Clearly Julia McDonell has a soft spot for these things. Luna Ruiz and Lobo return, but instead of cake, it’s a toy car that titilates the Spanish beauty.

Lobo dips the car in caramel, leaving chocolate tire tracks as he negotiates Ruiz’s curves. Ruiz lays flat on her back for much of the scene, allowing McDonell to cast her subject as a sunset-lit bodyscape.

Covered in sugar, Lobo proceeds to lick her hills clean. It’s a beautiful and enticing scene, although the color of that chocolate smeared on the skin can lead the imagination the wrong way.

Traditional porn usually shies away from showing a visibly creaming vag--something that is both normal and pretty. Thankfully, McDonell doesn’t back off, and instead maintains a focus on these big in and out penetrations with lots of creaminess running down Lobo’s cock.

Scene 4:

Julia McDonell delivers an elevated and softer version of something that Burning Angel might have produced. Tattooed hipsters Silvia Rubi and Gabe tonic engage in a game of strip chess which predictably leads to a game of chest, and then some.

Sexual tension and eroticism gradually builds amid flirty banter and wanting looks during the game. Rather than explode into rampant sex, the couple engage in foreplay for days with lots of toe-sucking and lusty looks from Rubi.

“Strip Chess” is ripe with sensuous shots with tight artistic close-ups that defy porno convention. It’s not all about the genitals, something I’m noticing in McDonell’s pornography. Just as much attention is given to the movement of the hand or a knee. It is sensuous, mysterious and allows the imagination to amp up the eroticism.

What a location too! Shot in the corner of a great-room with massive windows that overlook a lush treescape, this scene balances natural light with pops of color and warm skin tones.

It’s a gorgeous scene that art-porn fans will no doubt love, but it is technically flawed in two ways. There’s a bit of shaky camera work where it looks as though the cam nearly rolled off its tripod. More seriously, those outstanding windows produce outstanding glare--so much that you can see lighting rigs clearly at some angles. It breaks the fourth wall and distracts from otherwise wonderful filmography.

Scene 5:

“Summer” opens with a topless Ena Sweet on the bed. She turns on a fan and rubs herself n the cool breeze with hair flowing. It’s like a fashion shoot gone sexual. Marius enters the room watching devilishly from the shadow. There’s definitely a creepy vibe.

Much like a McDonell film, director Lucia emphasizes sensory play--this time with ice cubes. Let me geek out a minute here. I adore watching the nude body react to sensations. The hot, the cold, the sexual, the hard, the soft--it’s truly remarkable to see how the skin reacts, and that’s what this scene’s all about.

It’s basically hot and cold with Marius alternating the heat of his mouth (and later cock) and the chill of the ice cubes paired with the breeze from that fan. Watch this scene twice: once to appreciate the film as a whole, but again just to study Ena’s body as it dances to each sexual touch.

Lucia’s vision is ripe with creative angles. She uses dollies, overhead shots and foreground elements, piecing together a genuine Hollywood-style sex scene.

I’ve already praised Ena Sweet for her past performance, and she stands out again in “Summer”. You’ll note solid arching during sex and BJ’s together with a mix of glee and desire on her brow.

This is the most female-dominant scene of the movie. It’s about Ena getting the pleasure she wants on her own terms. I love the way she mounts Marius’ face and he has to sit there stroking himself whilst being buried in her clit. Again - watch the body react.

And there’s a shot where she gets on top facing the fan for that hair-blowing glam effect. The camera pans from her face to breasts then switches to a tight shot of her bum cavorting on Lobo’s cock.

Only one thing irks me in this one. In the post-scene credits, Ena Sweet is miscredited as Ena Swet. Come on.

Final Thoughts:

This is something completely different: a porno by mainstream filmmakers that bridges the gap between a big-screen production and an adult film. Erotic Caresses is lovingly edited, well paced and deeply romantic.

It is this sort of genteel art porn that inspired me to get involved with XXX in the first place, and represents a new generation of pornographic art that seemed long-since dead. Although Erotic Caresses bears a resemblance to the works of Lansky or X-Art, there is simply nothing quite like it today, or is there?

I found myself watching this film over and over and over again. Sure, it’s great porno, but there was something very familiar. I had to get to the bottom of it. Then it hit me. Both Ena Sweet and Luna Ruiz’s scenes were featured at Nubile Films back in 2016. While remarkable, this DVD is not wholly original.

Let me be clear. This is not your typical porn, and sure, it’s been around the biz before. Nonetheless, as a collection of XXX works, it is something special. If you are truly a connoisseur of pornographic art, then I can safely Recommend Erotic Caresses. It’s good.

But knowing that these scenes came from Nubile Films originally, I prefer to retain a membership and have access to all of their wonderful films.