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Amos Lassen wrote on 02/21/2011:

“PREACHING TO THE PERVERTED”
Spanking for Fun
Amos Lassen
“Preaching to the Perverted” is a very strange movie. Once you get past the S/M theme you will find an enjoyable experience, one that blew me away. T is somewhat ingenious in the way it deals with a subject heretofore not handled on film. Just the way it uses color is amazing and the message that it sends forth is one we should all adhere to—that we can all share a common bond regardless of life style.
The story is simple. A staunch Christian becomes involved in sado-masochism and bondage and falls in love with a dominatrix. I have never understood the S/M scene and this movie doesn’t help me understand in any way but it did show a side of it that I had never considered. I am sure that the entire film is much more literate to those involved but the jokes are wonderful and easily understandable. You may need a strong sense of humor and not easily offended by caged people and beatings. This is not an insight into that scene but more about how dreams come true. Here is an interesting, amusing take on a subject thought of as taboo by many. It is nice to see a refreshing movie on an aspect of life that is only whispered about. Beautiful imagery, costumes, make-up and set design as well as brilliant photography and a sensitive and smart script put this film on my tope twenty list.
Gwin Turner, as the dominatrix, is spectacular. As a visiting S/M instructor from America who goes to England to whip the British scene into shape steals the entire movie. That she is found appalling by a Member of Parliament is the theme of the movie. When a spy is sent to a kinky sex club to find out what is going on, he is soon sucked into that world. Some of the quirkiest scenes come fairly late into the film and you have to stick with it long enough to get to them but once you do the payoff is well worth it.
The acting is wonderful and the characterizations of members of that scene are exceptional. And all in the entire movie is very entertaining. The way the movie handles the Christian issue is done with taste and we see that their objections to the life style are so ingrained in them that they seems to act without thinking about what they are doing.
I have no idea what led me to this movie. I had read nothing about it nor had I head of it. I simply found it by browsing Netflix assuming that it was a gay film—which t is to a certain degree. I had no expectations so when I sat down t watch and found myself getting involved in it, I was pleasantly surprised. What it really is seems to be is a romantic comedy all dressed up in leather.
Dealing with issues of censorship and consenting adult behavior is not easily tacked on the screen and even though the film is somewhat serious, there are moments of hilarity as it deals with topics that are very difficult but are in need of being addressed. It does tend to glamorize bondage, domination and sado/masochism as opposed to the traditional seedy look about it that we are usually given (if you saw “Cruising”, you know what I mean). It strikes a chord about a subculture whose image has been colored by what the public thinks about it and this film gives it a new shot of energy even though it was made ten years ago.