‘SSSSHHH!’ is a four-episode Vivamax mini-series presented like a podcast hosted by their resident sexpert, Salome Salvi.
In each story, she is shown interviewing a guest who then shares her personal story involving relationships issues and sexual predicaments, then Salome gives her relevant comments and inputs about it.
We’ve seen the first two episodes: “Hallpass” and “Benching”. Since this is clearly “for adults only” stuff, the sex scenes are already a given.
But brace yourself for the liberal use of what is normally considered as obscene local words, like the vernacular term for the sex act that you hear being used here rampantly.
We think their aim is for it to lose its shock value on us after we hear it blurted out repeatedly, just like the common local cuss words we now hear regularly in films and even on TV.
“Hallpass” is about a female wedding photographer, Eunice (Alexa Ocampo). In the opening scene, we see her taking the pre-nuptial photos of a couple, Rash Flores and Amanda Avecilla.
She sees them while having a quickie in the dressing room and she seems visibly aroused. She’s been married to her husband, Aidan (Vince Rillon), for seven years.
They have no kids and they’re both busy with work that Aidan says “Wala ng libog ang pagsasama natin.” Eunice asks him: “Ayusin natin ang sex life natin.”
Aidan suggests they use a hallpass. As host, Salome then explains that this means they can have an open relationship. Once a month, they are allowed to have sex with other partners.
For Aidan, it is so easy. He meets a girl named Eve and in the next scene, they’re already in bed.
Eunice didn’t use her hallpass and Aidan urges her to use it and have sex with other guys.
By chance, Eunice meets Connor (Rash Flores), the guy in the pre-nuptial photos. She learns that the wedding didn’t push through. Connor seduces her and she agrees.
It turns out that Connor is into BD (bondage domination) and he ties Eunice up with ropes and makes love to her while she’s hanging in the air.
When Aidan learns about it, he gets mad and they have a fight.
In the end, they realize that a hallpass is not the right remedy for their ailing marriage. “Tigilan na natin ito. Nasasaktan lang natin ang isa’t isa. Maghanap na lang tayo ng ibang solusyon.”
It clearly shows that although the couple experimented with something new and unconventional, it didn’t prove effective for them.
And this has already been demonstrated in two local films that also touched on the topic, Andoy Ranay’s “Open” with Arci Munoz and JC Santos, and RC de los Reyes’ “Without You” with Dave Licauco and Shaira Diaz.
In the end, Salome concludes that open communication is the key to a good relationship, something that we all already know.
In this episode, what is left unexplored is Eunice’s quick compliance to do shibari, which maybe a common practice in Japan but is surely quite out of this world specially for a Pinay like her.
Why did she agree to do it right away? And what is her experience? Did she enjoy it? We guess we’ll never know because in the end, the episode cops out and chooses to have a more conventional happy ending.
It could have been more adventurous if they came out with something more depraved, like inviting their other partners so they can all indulge in a foursome and do shibari together.
Now, that would have been more audacious. So much for the shibari ek-ek.
In all fairness to Alexa Ocampo, she is very game in doing what Director Roman Perez Jr. required her to do.
It doesn’t look like she is having fun being all tied up with ropes and hanged in the air, but she proves to be a real trouper.
She also does fairly well in her dramatic scenes with Vince Rillon, who should be given more petite partners as he is vertically challenged.
Next, we’ll review “Benching” and tell you what it’s all about.
