Flawed Virtue

A broody, pushy, sexy young thing hits the road to seek meaning in life and self. She doesn't find it, because she doesn't really want to. She even flees from the realities she stumbles upon--a Catholic church in Phoenix, a Mexican whorehouse, an offer of unselfish love. She is essentially untouched by the episodes she floats through. The story is a series of commas.

Chastity bears the mark of first effort. It tries, awkwardly, to innovate: the heroine has several thought-soliloquies that are slangy, pretentious mini-sermons on God, man and morals. The final frames, which flashback to reveal a troubled upbringing, are too late and too pat--merely a neat way to label things and go home. The film is arch and inconclusive; in Chastity's own words: "Do me a favor. Don't try to make me. I'll tell you if I feel like it."

Sonny Bono's screenplay and production are flawed. But the acting debut of Cher, his marital and folk-rock singing partner, is more than creditable. True, the messed-up-youth scene can hardly be new to her (and the Bonos' little girl happens to be named Chastity), but Cher is on-screen for virtually the whole film and still handles herself with an easy flair. She clearly enjoys playing a side-of-the-mouth, post-teeny-bopper bitch, and even brings off the role's dark comedy. An instance: as a would-be prostitute she collects a garterful of cash from a young Alfred E. Newman type by deadpanning, "Take the special--the quickie's a drag." Then, still leading him perfectly, she talks him into "the whole works," which never materializes. Chastity's primary virtue is that it serves as a showcase for an engaging newcomer.

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