Movies like Risky Business and Pretty Woman view sex work through the lens of romance and comedy, portraying the world’s oldest profession in a manner that feels upbeat and optimistic. Unfortunately, the reality is often much more dire. Sweetheart Deal strips away cinematic cliches for an unflinchingly real examination of the darkness, danger and drugs that often accompany prostitution. The documentary follows four working women, Tammy, Sara, Kristine and Amy, each of them in varying degrees of addiction and diminished health.
What is Sweetheart Deal about?
The stories of these women are linked not only by their profession, but by their shared connection to Elliott, the self-proclaimed “Mayor of Aurora.” Elliott is an elderly man who resides in an RV which he offers as a safe haven to the prostitutes on Aurora Ave. It’s a place where they can go to shower, eat, or take shelter from the elements. It sounds like a selfless and generous act; however, Elliott’s white knight persona feels disingenuous from the beginning. There’s an ick factor about him that’s difficult to pinpoint at first, and the title “creepy old man” seems instantly befitting of him. That title (and worse) will prove themselves true as his relationship to the women is revealed to be far less wholesome than he claims.
Filmmakers Elisa Levine and Gabriel Miller set out to tell a story that takes viewers into a reality that they’ve never experienced. In that regard Sweetheart Deal is an unequivocal success. It’s as if they’re pulling back the curtain and allowing viewers to peek into a world that so few have seen and even fewer wish to acknowledge exists. There’s a line in the movie that stood out to me: “What’s familiar is comfortable.” This is spoken by one of the women in reference to the lifestyle she leads. To most people, there is nothing comfortable about drug addiction or sex work, but to these four women, it’s the only life they’ve known for a very long time.
Another common thread joining the lives of these four women is the similarities in their relationships to their families. Some of them have no relationship at all, while the others hold on to a strained and shattered existence with their parents. There are no depictions of sex or sexual activity in the film, but it is unflinching and uncensored in its portrayal of the toll this life has on a person.
What Makes A Great Documentary?
The best documentaries, in my opinion, are the ones that show you something you shouldn’t be seeing. The movies that provide insight into a world I know nothing about, and would never experience otherwise, are the ones that leave the largest lasting impression. The two filmmakers approach the material of Sweetheart Deal without judgment or apparent bias. There is no condemnation or interference. The camera is used as a portal, merging two very different worlds so that we may experience the dangers of the street from the safety of our homes.
When I was younger, I worked as a corrections officer. I first worked in a county jail and later in a maximum security women’s prison. I’ve met and interacted with the very types of people that this film follows. There’s a sadness surrounding the idea of feeling trapped. The lure of hard drugs and the un-waiving pull of addiction are things I have never experienced; however, I have known many people who did. Addiction fuels desperation, desperation fuels danger, and the never-ending cycle continues. So, how do we break that cycle? I’m not entirely sure, but the first steps must involve education. The wall of ignorance shielding society from dark truths has to be broken, and with Sweetheart Deal Elisa Levine and Gabriel Miller have accomplished that, at least on a minor scale.
8/10
Sweetheart Deal will be in theaters in the fall.
Learn more about the film at the official website.
You might also like…
