Brothel (2008) User Reviews

disappointing and overplayed ghost sex drama

[mrcibubur · 4/10 · 8 November 2010]

A very poor movie indeed with little if any drama and certainly no sex if you are expecting it from a movie so entitled.

the story is tedious and uninteresting and you watch the movie to its conclusion only in expectation that things will get better - they definitely do not.

Unlike 'all our friends are wedding singers' which dealt with a similar theme, this movie does not get off the ground in any shape or form and you need a strong heart to persevere until the end.

Not giving much away in this review but good luck to you if you find something rewarding in this movie, I found it extremely lacking for drama and entertainment.

So Bad, It Just Might be Good...

[molauer · 4/10 · 31 August 2021]

Add cocktails, quippy friends and an atmosphere conducive to clever heckling and this film could morph into a cult classic.

DRINKING GAME(S) 1) Character's accent changes- DRINK

2) Incongruous, befuddling edit- DRINK

3) So many opportunities. Pick your own. DRINK

Warning: When utilizing this film for the purpose of drinking games, inadvertent bingeing to toxic levels likely. Small sips recommended as unit of measure.

On Amazon, this film had Five Stars. Either we've been pranked, or many fellow film cultists out there agree...

I'M NOT DEAD

[nogodnomasters · 4/10 · 16 April 2019]

Brothel is an oddball movie. A woman loses her husband then goes on to buy an old brothel in a mining town. Ghosts appear and she asks them not to smoke. She takes on their persona and you have to question her sanity or are the ghosts real. If you like "Red Shoes Diary" type of films, you should enjoy this as it is erotica written from a woman's point of view.

Parental Guide: F-bomb, sex, nudity

Complicated, confusing, but eventually mildly satisfying

[libove · 26 August 2011]

"The Brothel" is a confusing film, a taste of which we get in the very first scene. I had trouble choosing a rating for the film, just as I had trouble sticking it out to watch through the whole length of it. I'm glad that I did stick it out in the end, even though I find the overall work only mildly satisfying.

Approach "The Brothel" in expectation of beautiful period costumes and sets, characters who are intriguing even if perhaps needlessly opaque for much of the film, yes some beautiful bodies (of both genders) and a bit of sex. Ultimately the film reaches a resolution which does make some sense and does provide a sense of closure to the viewer and for the characters. Suspend your disbelief while on the ride. Enjoy its individual pieces as it passes over and maybe a little bit through you.

Many viewers will feel that the payoff is insufficient to the cost of viewing through the whole film. I'm - just barely - not one of them, and did enjoy the film, having reached the end. If you turn this film off in the middle, then your time will have been wasted. If you reach the end, then I hope that you will be satisfied, just enough, as I was.

Over indulgent sex ghost story

[artpf · 1/10 · 25 September 2013]

Phony British accents abound.

Pretentious lines delivered in phony British accents.

Disjointed direction makes the movie confusing.

Slow-mo for no reason makes it boring.

The sets are all vivid colors like neon green and neon red.

I guess the bad director thought that connotes brothel? It's annoying.

The entire movie is a train wreck.

This director is dismal and should not be allowed to make movies.

She has no idea how to set up scenes and not even rudimentary sense of how to tell a story.

What a mess

[grantss · 2/10 · 9 October 2021]

What a mess of a movie. Plot, what there is, is all over the place. Bereft of plot the director then dimly lights each scene to make the film seem more arty. All this does is make it more confusing. If this was meant as a skin flick, the dim lighting doesn't help that aim.

Nothing good about this. Avoid.

The brothel that will lull you to sleep...

[paul_haakonsen · 2/10 · 19 July 2021]

As much as I tried, then I just couldn't get into this movie. There was just something profoundly offsetting and boring about the whole setup.

The storyline told in "Brothel", as written by Amy Waddell - whom also directed this 2008 movie - was just one that never sank its hooks into me. I wanted to watch the movie and get into it, but I just couldn't. The storyline just failed to entertain me, and I found nothing enjoyable in the movie.

"Brothel" was just not constructed in a way or manner that made much sense for me, in terms of storytelling and narrative building. As such, the storyline just felt cluttered and it felt like director Amy Waddell was just fumbling about in the dark.

And even with a cast that included the likes of Bruce Payne, Grace Zabriskie, Brett Cullen and Serena Scott Thomas, then the movie just failed to capture my interest.

I found "Brothel" to be a very slow-paced movie, and it took away even further from the enjoyment that wasn't there to begin with.

Needless to say that this movie is not one that I would recommend, nor one that I would ever return to watch for a second time. In fact, now in 2021 as I sat down to watch it, it was my first - and last - time to get acquainted with Amy Waddell's 2008 movie.

My rating of "Brothel" lands on a two out of ten stars. This was a massive swing and a miss of a movie.

The film makes as much sense as my last tax return.

[Mr_Sophistication_Uk · 1/10 · 12 May 2023]

Let's see now... you have a woman who loses her husband during a heavy love making session, so naturally she decides to resurrect his dream project of renovating a brothel (as you do).

While there, she finds the old building is haunted by the ghosts of the prostitutes who used to work there. She engages them in a LOT of mystical mumbo-jumbo conversation about lust that means nothing, then some incredibly bland bloke enter the picture and... oh my God, someone give me strength.

I'll tell you what would be 10000x better than the movie we've got here... if a normal, everyday woman woke up in an 18th century brothel and was forced to deal with the situation as best as she could whilst trying to find a way home.

THAT would be something worth watching far more than... whatever the heck THIS is. Movie moguls, get your chequebooks ready. I'm open to any and all offers. 1/10.

Amazing Film - Red Shoe Diaries meets Ghosts

[NEWYORK75 · 10/10 · 20 May 2011]

I recently saw this film and was blown away, not only does it look amazing but the talent in the film is dead on and the acting is perfect. You really feel their pain and love, great cast and directing.

I will admit the women in the film are beautiful and I did not mind the many sex scenes and nudity. I can't believe this film is not cable TV or something late at night.

But again, this is a film worth checking out as it has it all - acting, name talent, directing, sex, nudity, ghosts, thrills, drama, you name it this film has it.

You must go out and get this film, rent, buy it - do it however you want but is a good interesting film.

Coming ... back ... over and over again

[kosmasp · 6/10 · 1 October 2022]

No pun intended - and certainly not the innuendo you may think it is. Or is it? Maybe a little bit, but do not go into this expect this to be .. well too erotic or whatever you want to call it. Yes there is nudity, yes there is some erotic stuff happening, but the movie lives off things being unclear - in more than one sense.

I liked the fact that it felt all over the place (and time for that matter) - no pun intended. It really is something that you have to get into and you have to suspend your disbelief too. Otherwise this probably will get annoying quite fast for you. Good actors and decent plot - but maybe not enough - or clearly not as the rating shows, for most at least.

No need to watch, turn up the volume and bake a cake

[sharicrouch · 2 September 2021]

95% of the film is filmed in 99% darkness. Headlights, lampshades, and back-lit windows are all there is to see in the first 30 min. I assume the director was going for an ominous vibe, but ended up giving me eye strain.

Not sure I will make it through the entire film to have an opinion on the storyline, etc. What a shame to waste the opportunity of this amazing location in Jerome Arizona!