It is 1972. And we can tell this not just from the vibrant colors, the giant polyester collars and the macramé owl décor, but because the narrator Barbi tells us we’re in suburbia in 1972. We meet the striking brunette Barbi while she lounges fully nude in a bubbly tub reading a pornographic magazine. On the surface, she seems like a simple housewife living the dream life… a beautiful home, a handsome husband and liquored up neighbors to help pass the time when hubby Rick is away. But Barbi’s perfect world slowly falls apart when she loses her job and Rick scoffs at her disapproval of his long business trips. With her best friend Sheila, the two set off on an adventure. The two hit the town like innocents thrown to the wolves when they meet a nice lady that suggests they have sex with men… for money. Barbi finds the idea of being a whore romantic and she changes her name to Viva. Fully liberated and now in control of her own life, Barbi/Viva seeks to find herself in a new world of sexual freedom.
Written, directed and starring newcomer and first-time feature filmmaker Anna Biller, Viva is a more than a tribute to those sexploitation films of the 60s and 70s. It’s nearly a perfect replica of a film from the era, right down to the simple dialog and stilted acting style. There’s song and dance numbers, comedic hijinx from gay hairdressers, nudist colony folk songs, race car driving, horribly gorgeous fashion and wigs topped off with an orgy of epic proportions. Viva has “cult classic” written all over it – it’s the kind of movie that will gain new fans each time anyone sees it. One can only hope there is a sequel in the works. It’s more than anyone could want in a sexploitation film and holds up to repeated viewings, getting funnier with each viewing as Biller’s exquisite attention to detail reveals itself.
Viva is a one of a kind film experience and a must-see now and well into the 2070s.
Words by Chris Gore
