Plot Details: This opinion reveals everything about the movie's plot.

One might think that the producers behind "Rub & Tug" lacked confidence in their film. One glance at the box cover makes it glaringly clear that they felt the need to disguise this well-written, well-acted character study as a titilating soft-core porno suitable for "Skinimax" or "U.S.A. UP All Night". Depicting the scantily clad three female leads it bares the misleading title "Rub & Tug" in big, adult-film letters. Ironic, then, that there is more male nudity in the film than female.

Digressions aside, "Rub & Tug" is the kind of film that prides itself on having a shoestring budget. The film centers around a massage parlour staffed by three young women. Lea (Lindy Booth) is a sassy, street-wise woman who watches the backs of her friends and co-workers. Betty (Tara Spencer-Nairn) is the sweet girl next door whose sexiness comes from her unexpected intelligence. Cindy (Kira Clavell) is a young Asian woman who desperately puts trust in everyone due to her own precarious situation: she is on a work visa that is soon to expire.

The three take pride in their work, making no qualms about the fact that they provide a little bit more than massage. As is blatantly expressed in the film's title, they provide what is commonly referred to in escorting circles as a "release" at the end of their massages. However, they do NOT have full-on intercourse.

As the film begins, a new manager, the nerdy Conrad (Don McKellar,) is hired. He is expressly told by the owner that sex with clients is prohibited. At first the girls are wary of Conrad, and vice-versa. However after some rocky starts (Conrad scares away an overly aggressive client, costing the girls money) everyone starts to get to know one another.

As the characters reveal themselves, everyone seems just a little bit too nice. When Conrad discovers that Cindy has only a week left in the country until she is deported, he agrees to marry her. The four get into wedding gear and crash another wedding, taking pictures on the fly to make it look like a real wedding occurred, and then a license is obtained. Unfortunately, Cindy has begun to develop legitimate feelings for a client who has visited the parlor. He is the first client who seemed shocked when the suggestion of a "tug" was offered, and it endears him to her.

Things begin to sour when it is revealed that Conrad is not the nice guy he pretended to be. He has stolen every dime Cindy saved up from her hard work. At the same time, Cindy's friendly client turns out to be an immigration agent. Cindy is taken away to be deported, and the parlor is shut down by the police. Lea and Betty devise a scheme to get back at Conrad. They plead innocense and victimization to the cops, setting him up for a fall, which works splendidly.

At the last minute, while waiting in the airport to be deported, the immigration agent realizes that Cindy is really not a bad person at all. He "accidentally" goes to the restroom and leaves behind her passport, which she grabs and flees with (all to his amusement as he watches from a balcony.)

There is some subplotting involving Betty's struggle to maintain a relationship with one of her clients who she gets involved with outside of work. It does shed some light on the idea of the difficulting of being in a relationship when you provide sexual favors for money, but it is ultimately inconsequential to the plot. In the end we are satisfied that these young women are wiser than you might think, and that they'll be just fine.

"Rub & Tug" is a pleasant diversion that is a far cry from what the pornographic box cover and title suggest. Though the whole cast is strong in their character portrayals, the film belongs to Clavell as the hapless (but not hopeless) Cindy. Clavell could have easily turned the character of a naive Asian immigrant into a stereotype, but instead Cindy comes off as legitimately warm (if confused). The film's entire plot is driven by her story, and by Clavell's performance.

It's definitely not a family dinner-time film, but "Rub & Tug" proves that a unique idea coupled with good writing and acting can bring us quality films.

Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: VHS
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age