‘The Escorts’ DVD Review
Stars: Jason Biggs, Janet Montgomery, Ashley Tisdale, Bria L. Murphy, Jenny Mollen, Steven Weber, Adrian Voo, Robert Hoffman, Rusty Joiner, Cedric Yarbrough | Written and Directed by Lisa Addario, Joe Syracuse
Guy Carter is an award-winning graduate student of architecture. He’s got a beautiful wife and a baby on the way. The problem? He doesn’t have “his ducks in a row,” which only fuels his doubts about being a good father. Guy has been trying to find work in his field for a year with no luck. At wit’s end, his wife Anne finds him a job as a ‘driver’ on Craigslist. Guy shows up for the interview thinking he’ll be delivering pizzas, but quickly realizes it’s a job driving prostitutes. With money too scarce to turn down, he goes for it- which is where he meets Nikki, the tough-as-nails, unapologetic sex worker, and her two hilarious and foul-mouthed cohorts, Jaxi and Fallon. As reluctant driver and protector Guy is thrust into a world of rockin’ women and feeble men. Over the course of one wild and sordid night, and several ‘come-to-Jesus’ moments, Guy proves to Nikki, and himself, that he does have what it takes to be the responsible father his family deserves.
You have to feel sorry for Jason Biggs, whilst American Pie did wonders for his career it also forever stereotyped him as the bumbling hero of comedy, be they sex comedies, a la the Pie films, or not. Whilst The Escorts would seem like just another sex-comedy for the underrated actor, here Biggs plays a role that – surprisingly – is actually based on a real-life person. Yes, this sex comedy is based on a true story, most of which REALLY happened. And refreshingly for a “based on…” film, once the film is over we see just how much – again, surprisingly – actually happened!
Originally titled Amateur Night, The Escorts is an indie comedy with a VERY familiar story… If you’ve seen the likes of After Hours and Something Wild then you’ll recognise this films’ mix of screwball comedy, violence and overt sexuality straight away – although, given it’s plot, The Escorts’ “overt sexuality” is more in your face that usual. Let’s just say, if you ever wanted to see former Disney star Ashley Tisdale orgasming and accidentally [faux] squirting in Jason Biggs face, then The Escorts is for you.
And Tisdale’s “squirting” is just one of the lowbrow highlights (or should that be lowlights?) of The Escorts – a film that sees Biggs’ character assigned with not only driving prostitutes to their gigs but also rescuing them from their clients, cleaning their used sex toys and playing their pimp at a bachelor party. Though, as I previously mentioned, a LOT of the wild and crazy aspects of this story did actually take place – which adds a totally different dimension to proceedings. Even moreso when you discover that Joe Syracuse, the films co-director / co-screenwriter, based the film on his real-life experience as a driver for L.A. prostitutes; and Biggs’ is essentially playing him on film!
Reminiscent of 80s sex comedies like Porkys, complete with a main character whose fish out of water experience ultimately leads to character growth and the traitional feelgood conclusion (two elements of this true story that didn’t happen apparently – at least according to the closing credits), The Escorts is out on DVD now from Precision Pictures / Signature Entertainment.
