Whispers and Moans is a Category III movie about the sex trade in Hong Kong. But any of you potential viewers out there looking for salacious material had better keep moving on, as there's nary a bare nipple to be seen here. And that's perhaps this movie's biggest problem. Despite the tawdry source material, it all feels too clean and pat, making it neither effective as an exploitation film or a serious drama.

Based on the book of the same name penned by Yeung Yee-Shan (who also co-wrote the screenplay) the story, supposedly based on real people, centers on a hostess club that has fallen on hard times due to the influx of Mainland immigrants who are willing to do more for less money. Like most movies of this type, all of the ladies have problems outside of the club (deadbeat boyfriends, drug problems, etc.) that are the main reason that they stay employed as sex workers.

Really, there's not too much of interest here. This sort of "expose" drama on the sex industry has been done before, and Whispers and Moans adds nothing new to the mix. The hookers are basically good girls, their clients tend to be sleazeballs, neither is very happy in where they are in life, and so on and so forth. There are a few glimmers that Herman Yau is trying to something at least a bit different, as with the relationship between a male gigolo and transsexual woman, but for most of the running time, the story just seems to dawdle around, not having much (if any) direction to go in.

Ultimately, Whispers and Moans isn't a bad film, but it is totally underwhelming in most every way. It is admirable that Herman Yau, a director best known for his Category III bloodbaths like The Untold Story, was trying to stretch his wings, but it's too bad the results couldn't have been better. While we're not talking Lifetime movie of the week quality, the high level of melodrama and by-the-numbers storytelling don't go very far to making this picture into something other than stunningly average.

RATING: 5