SYNOPSIS
Afternoon Delight. Thirtysomething Rachel (Hahn) has an affluent lifestyle in LA’s boho Silverlake neighbourhood, a successful husband, adorable moppet… yet something’s lacking, not least sexually. So when an ironic couples’ spice-up-your-life strip-club visit and lap dance from alluring young McKenna (Temple) stirs unexpected emotions in her, Rachel impulsively invites this seemingly vulnerable waif to stay – with seismic consequences for herself, her family, even their friends. ‘Bored housewife rescues kittenish stripper’ is potentially a tagline from high-concept hell, so credit to writer-director Jill Soloway (an established TV player with Six Feet Under and United States of Tara) in her feature debut for revealing her characters’ innermost desires. Blending caustic raunchiness with aching vulnerability, Afternoon Delight is akin to a grittier, wittier, sexier Bridesmaids: Temple skewers any hooker-with-a-heart-of-gold clichés with her dancer’s pole and Kathryn Hahn (Revolutionary Road, Step Brothers) is superb in a long-overdue lead role showcasing her full dramatic and comedic range.
