The Companion Contract

Twosomes, threesomes, bondage, a little S&M: porn actress Serena Sakamoto, aka Amy Mendoza, has done it all. In less capable hands her characterization as a tough-on-the-outside insecure young woman might be clichéd, but Ames (The Submission Gift) pulls off a genuinely complex portrayal with ease. When Amy crashes a Hollywood party to rescue a helpless friend, she meets Emanuel, the lead guitarist in one of her favorite bands. He recognizes her from her films and offers her a dream job. All she has to do is be a sober friend and sex plaything for Miles, the band’s floundering lead singer, and she’ll be generously compensated—enough to get out of the porn business. When Amy learns that Emanuel once broke Miles’s heart, she realizes the job is going to be a little more complicated than it sounded, and to make things worse, she’s falling for the wrong guy. Ames strikes an excellent balance of rock-and-roll zaniness, California kitsch, and sensational sex scenes. (Feb.)