Summer and Joy

19th-century British writer Benjamin Disraeli once said, "The magic of first love is our ignorance that it can never end." James Avalon's "Summer and Joy" explores this poignant idea through a story about two young women whose initial love blossoms into a fireball of unbridled passion, only to dissipate into cold ash by the time they hit middle age.

James Avalon is one of my favorite storytellers in porn. He has an eye for visual storytelling; he knows how to capture hot sex, and his stories always leave a lasting impression. The cast for this movie is also top-notch. Daisy Phoenix plays young Summer, while Reagan Foxx takes over the role as an adult; Scarlett Alexis plays young Joy, and Dana Vespoli takes over the role for the present day. The male cast includes hotties Axel Haze and Arin Jones, and Ken Feels rounds out the talent pool.

The story opens with a flashback. We see Summer and Joy in 1988, free and full of life. They are connected on a soulful level, and that connection is reflected in everything they do. It's not just their passion-driven sex (although that is awesome); it's the way they look at each other and smile at each other and laugh together. There's a lot of passion in these opening moments. The opening sex scene is Reagan Foxx's Summer narrating like a poet over scenes of Daisy Phoenix's Summer masturbating. It's really powerful and very emotional. The scene transitions to the young versions of Summer and Joy making love, and it's very clear that this is not a simple sex scene; it is a lovemaking scene. The lighting is soft, and there are lots of shadows and close-ups of the women caressing and stroking each other. There's not a lot of focus on the private areas; rather, it's on the women's faces, so it's very intimate. There are two more sex scenes between the two lovers; one in a more brightly lit bedroom and the other a steamy encounter in the shower, but even though all three scenes are powerful, orgasmic, and electric.

Summer asks herself through her journal where it all went wrong, and that question transitions the film to Joy's point of view. We see her in the present day as an older woman feeling like the passion in her relationship with Summer has evaporated. She confides in her coworker (Ken Feels) that Summer is too needy and lives in the past. She admits that when they were younger, there was more open passion, and they couldn't keep their hands off each other, but as they got older, Summer never matured beyond her dreams, leaving Joy to pick up the slack of reality. While Summer continued to follow her passion and write novels that didn't sell, Joy had to trade the artistic photography she loved for a more practical version of the craft. The conversation turns to overall passion and satisfaction, and Ken tells Joy about a threesome he once had. On a whim, she admits that it's something she'd be willing to try even though she's never been with a man, so Ken arranges it. The threesome itself is very tender. Ken and Arin are incredibly gentle with her. They're always respectful of her boundaries and her comfort level, and they let her set the pace and tone of the encounter. The longer the tryst goes on, the more comfortable and loose Joy becomes, and by the end, she is practically bubbling with curiosity, satisfaction, and liberation. It's the first true crack in Summer and Joy's relationship, and it's a crack that Joy carries with her through much of their adult life together.

The film flashes back to the summer of 1988, with Summer breaking things off with the guy she's been seeing (Axel Haze) after meeting Joy. Understandably, he's a bit confused considering just a few nights earlier they had a fantastic romp in the cabana by the beach. Their sex scene has a very free-love spirit to it. The cowgirl is fantastic, and she gets her mouth plowed really nicely at the end.

The film concludes with Summer finally discovering Joy's betrayal and a desperate final attempt to save their once vibrant love with vigorous sex. The encounter is hot, and both ladies look amazing, but the passion that once burned between them is gone.

This movie is heartbreaking and real. It's exactly the kind of movie in which James Avalon excels, and the cast brings it to life perfectly. I love the mirror of young Summer and Joy compared to middle-aged Summer and Joy, and all four ladies involved in those characters (especially Dana) do a fantastic job. Fans of couples porn will absolutely want to add this one to their collection.