After a solid year in the industry, lo and behold, Victoria Paris has finally been discovered —or at least the fact that she can act.

On he heels of solid performances in Temptations and Cool Sheets, Paris really hits the throttle in this steamy tales of a high-priced call girl who hangs out in a bar populated by a cluster of desperados. Paris carries herself among these people with an almost regal distance, rationalizing her own behavior as "playing the role to feed the dreams of lost men and confused women." She can't be anything like these people, but she isn't above accepting $500 for a mean-spirited trick, either.

Director Pachard, who also wrote the script, gives us something very much on the order of William Saroyan's classic The Time Of Your Life —gin mills, down and outers, the detached angel or mercy. And if you really want to catch magnificent adult drama, witness Paris' first scene with Joey Silvera as Mr. Lamar. It's strange, quirky, ironic, bizarre —but then Pachard's an old hand at this via his many collaborations with Raven Touchstone. Now, as far as the sex goes, remember to address this whole thing with a certain attitude —you're dealing with characters who don't like themselves a heckuva lot, and the sex may play out ugly to some people. but it's well in character, nonetheless fascinating, and yes, erotic.

Victoria's Secret is a great opening salvo for new company Soho Video, with lovely packaging. Pick up on this one.