Theresa "Darklady Reed Review:
Mainstream film loves to flirt with sex, but it’s never quite ready to make a commitment. Sex, to much of Hollywood, is a mercenary thing; primarily useful as a tool to transition a scene, provide a shock, or look hip. Explicit sex, we have been told, is the purview of pornography; somehow less worthy of art or understanding than explicit violence.

Director Angie Rowntree dares to call that conventional wisdom out with her short film, Gone, a movie with both the balls and the ovaries to not only present its sex frankly, but to literally marry it to kink, love, and devastating loss. Rowntree tells a tale as old as time when she introduces her audience to Rebecca, an attractive woman who has finally met the love of her life – and discovered that he’s more than a little into structured relationships and discipline. Because the love-vibe is strong, Rebecca is able to open herself fully to Todd, who becomes both her husband and loving dominant.

In spite of many flashbacks to good times, Rebecca is beyond distraught; forced to adjust abruptly to a world, a house, a dungeon, and a life without her beloved. The why of her apparent abandonment is a timely reveal, but not really the point of the story. What is the point? Other than the fact that love truly is a many-splendored thing and there are as many ways to express, intensify, and commit to it as there are people capable of loving? From a film-makers’ position, the point is that a powerful story involving complex emotional states can be successfully told in combination with explicit sex. It just takes some talent and a genuine respect for all of the subject matter, even the wonderfully kinky-weird stuff and the vanilla married sex stuff.

Rowntree, her cast, and her crew clearly have these qualities.

Gone: A Commentary by Rich Moreland, Adult Industry News Review:
About this film's message of love, devotion, sexuality, and heartache, I have nothing to add that hasn't already been said by reviewers whose words are more moving and powerful than anything I could write. Is Gone a five star winner? You bet, and worth watching. Is it a groundbreaker in filmed pornography that shelves the rules of formulaic movie making? Absolutely, and for that reason alone it should garner well-deserved accolades. But there is something else within this movie's thirty-three plus minutes: a statement of where we are in today's America. To put it bluntly, every politician should be required to watch it and if he or she is anti-porn, just cover up the offending parts. It's the larger message that needs to be seen. Take a look at the imagery. The beginning is a wooded path, the wilderness every lawmaker and foreign policy wonk tries to negotiate with seeming futility. Then there's small town America, scenes of village greens and community days out. The freedoms worth fighting for . . . so we are told. And that white clapboard house with the picket fence, "We were living the American dream," Rebecca, the lead character says of her home with Todd. But they, like many who wish a bellicose country would rise up and smite its enemies, have impaired vision that is a setup for tragedy. In fact, we see a smiling Todd blindfolded while he playfully hugs Rebecca in the kitchen. It's a chilling moment in a story of unexpected tragedy. And, of course, there is the real image of incompetence: the lolling Teddy Bear in the couple's bedroom. His eyes are covered with a hat that makes him look a bit inebriated---perhaps with a self-ingratiating smugness too many of us let pass for the ability to govern and a belief that we know what is best for everyone.

When the film's ending was within reach, I suddenly got the picture, figuring it all out before we get, as one reviewer implied, the punch in the gut. Just follow the images.

There's a final one, a newspaper, that confirms what the viewer already knows. It's like hearing that your best friend has passed on but the reality doesn't set in until you walk into the funeral home for the viewing. Let's not forget Rebecca's words, cries of anger, grieving, and overwhelming sadness. How many times have they been repeated over and again for almost two decades?

"Now that Todd's gone I wish I'd never met him in the first place." And there are places we as a nation should never have gone either. Angie Rowntree and Sssh.com deserve congratulations on perhaps the most significant porn film this reviewer has ever seen.

Bacchus at Erosblog.com review:
Angie Rowntree’s Sssh.com “erotica for women” site has been on my radar here at ErosBlog since 2004, when my erstwhile co-blogger Aphrodite discovered it and mentioned it warmly on several occasions. Recently Angie asked me to take a look at her newest movie, which is a 35-minute “featurette” called Gone: A Story Of Love And Courage that’s also a moving and affecting erotic musing on the role sex plays in grief and loss.

That may sound like a bummer, but it’s really not. Gone is an authentically erotic movie, but more than that, it is real cinema, a film that engages your viewing attention with story and character even more than with the sex. The woman at the heart of the film (Rebecca, played by Madeline Blue) is strong and sympathetic; the first words we hear from her are:

“They say that it is better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all. Well, I don’t know who they think they are, but I say that’s bullshit.”

If normalization of kink matters to you, you’ll grin at another of Rebecca’s narrations early in the movie:

“We married right out of college, and bought a house. It was perfect. A white picket fence, surrounded by trees, a dungeon in the basement. We were living the real American Dream, we joked.”

I very much liked how the BDSM in their relationship is shown to be a low-key element of their sex life together, rather than an over-fetishized definition of their relationship. If you’re not too keen on BDSM, don’t worry; this is the kind of “movie BDSM” in which the riding crop is on screen for sixteen seconds caressing her naked body before it slaps her, softly, just twice.

Although we don’t learn until the end of the movie precisely what has become of Rebecca’s husband and of her marriage, the bulk of the action takes place in her mind, as she remembers her husband and struggles with the fact that he’s, ah, gone. There’s nice use of music throughout, and sometimes it’s rather clever. For instance, in a sequence where Rebecca and her husband are making out on the bed watching the New Years Eve ball drop, we can hear drunken revelers singing Auld Lang Syne on the unseen television. As the scene shifts in her mind from the mundane (clothes on, fast food boxes in the bed) to the idealized (fully naked, better lighting, clutter of daily life no longer visible), the sound of the rough TV singing fades and is replaced by an unaccompanied (and, sadly, uncredited) female vocalist singing Auld Lang Syne in a haunting ethereal voice, reminding us that these are literally scenes from “days gone by”.

It’s an emotionally compelling movie, and if it’s porn for women, it works for men too. Or at least it works for me. What’s more, there are nice visual details throughout. For instance, in a very hot closeup blowjob scene near the end of the movie, Madeline Blue’s oral work is complimented by the visual of a pretty blue amethyst or sapphire pendent, bouncing fetchingly off her chest as she bobs up and down.

Magnus Sullivan, Screenwriter, Producer, Marriage 2.0
“‘GONE’ is the kind of production we need more of: erotic storytelling around moving, contemporary events, with sex woven elegantly into the narrative arc, using performers who know how to act and who aren’t afraid to show genuine vulnerability.”

Dr. Chauntelle Tibbals, Sociologist and Author
Gone does in 30 minutes what most Hollywood films fail to accomplish in a lifetime. The chemistry between “real life” lovers Madeline Blue and Gee Richards is palpable, and yet you do not feel like you are watching a rending of their private lives in the film. Instead, Gone connects with the viewer’s own romantic and emotional experiences, presenting you with raw emotion and passion that transcends individual experiences and catapults you to a deeper, more primal experience of love. I don’t want to ruin the story for you, but Gone is something everyone must experience for themselves. It is a true testament to director Angie Rowntree’s skill, experience, and vision, while showcasing what film has the capacity to render.

Jen McEwen and Jesse Adams at Mikandi.com Couples Review:
"We loved this film. Gone takes the viewer beyond sex scenes and into the world of true erotic cinema. It features a richly layered story that follows a relationship through sexual exploration, love, and loss. We found ourselves engrossed in all aspects of these characters’ lives. If the sex scenes were removed from this film, it would still be every bit as enjoyable. Watching the physical expression of their love for each other was the cherry on top. Gone is a must-see for anyone who wants to see more in their porn: more connection, more emotion, more thought, and more care."

SexTalkAbout.com Review:
“Gone” Is the Face of New Porn. Here’s Why…
People watch porn with the intent of unleashing fantasies, releasing stress or simply cumming, and the porn industry is really good at offering the right entertainment for each expectation. You get used to it, spoiled even. You type [insert your porn keyword here], pick a movie, press “play” and boom: things unfold the way you expected them to. However, what if when you press “play” expecting to cum and move on with your life unusual feelings take over instead? Well, if that happens, you are probably navigating in the strange waters of a new kind of porn, and Gone is the kind of boat you would jump on board to explore what this new porn is all about.

Gone – A Story of Love & Courage is a 35-minute movie that follows the journey of Rebecca and Todd, a couple both emotionally and sexually connected. You feel everything they feel – happiness, sadness, and naughtiness. Your mind is in the story. Your hands are not on your parts. Most porn is about sex as an act. Gone is about sex as a connection – and this is the best sex you can witness on screen.

The movie stars two relatively new faces in the industry, Madeline Blue and Gee Richards, and is directed by Angie Rowntree, founder of an erotic website made for and by women. You can watch Gone in its explicit versions (ejaculation friendly) or in its erotic version, according to your mood or taste.

Calico Rudasill Review: Gone – Definitely NOT Your Typical Porn Movie.
Think back on all the adult videos you’ve seen in your life and ask yourself this question: What are some of the adjectives you would most likely not use to describe them?

Right at the top of your list, it’s safe to say, would be words like sad, contemplative, introspective and melancholy, if those terms even occurred to you in the first place when thinking about pornography you’ve watched in the past, that is.

This will change when you watch “Gone,” the latest adult film from director Angie Rowntree, founder and owner of Sssh.com. While certainly erotic and sexually-explicit, what makes the movie stand out is the way in which it tugs – mightily – at the heart strings of the viewer.

“This is the most difficult film I’ve ever made, by far,” Rowntree says of Gone, which stars newcomer performers Madeline Blue and Gee Richards, who are an actual couple off-screen and soon to be married.

“We weren’t just making a porn movie with a bit of a story to it,” Rowntree adds. “There were three real relationships we needed to honor here; one between the characters, one between the performers and the real-world relationship which is the original source of inspiration for the movie.”

Gone relates the story of Rebecca and Todd Adams, whose tale of love and loss is greatly enhanced not only by the on-screen chemistry shared by Blue and Richards, but by the fact the plot is largely based on the true story of a Sssh.com member who shared her experiences and emotional life journey with Rowntree through a series of emails.

The result is a film with a very different feel to it than one usually encounters in porn, one in which the sex scenes propel and give sense to the plot, rather than the story simply setting up a series of disconnected sexual encounters.

“At its core, Rebecca’s story is about coping with the absence of someone you love deeply, someone you’ve shared a great deal with and who is such a part of your life you almost can’t make sense of the world without them by your side,” Rowntree says. “It’s a tough thing to depict no matter how you approach it, but especially so in the context of porn.”

What makes Gone work, both as erotica and more fundamentally as a story, is Blue’s performance as Rebecca, a display which Rowntree said even occasionally brought tears to the eyes of the crew as they filmed.

“There were moments when we almost had to call ‘cut’ just so the rest of us on set could compose ourselves, wipe away tears and get our sniffles under control,” Rowntree said. “That’s definitely something I’ve never experienced on a porn set before and a real testament to the amazing job Madeline did.”

Of course, as an adult film, Gone couldn’t be a success if it weren’t also hot, sexually speaking. Here, too, the connection between Blue and Richards is palpable – and, like the movie’s emotional component, quite different from what you see in most porn. Instead of feeling like you’re watching two people “banging,” you’re watching them make love. There’s an intimacy and familiarity which really can’t be faked, so much so that even without being told they’re off-screen lovers, a lot of viewers will likely know it at a glance.

“As proud as I am of Gone, I can’t take credit so much as I have to give it to Madeline and Gee,” Rowntree says. “They were the perfect choice to take on a very difficult and unusual pair of roles, and they absolutely nailed the feel and aura we wanted to create.”

Lauren MacEwen at 7Veils Media Comments:
A love and loss story told from an intimate perspective you do not get from Hollywood movies. Gone is an adult indie film that takes you into the intimate and sensual life of a couple in love. It takes you through an emotional journey, where sex helps illustrate how these two people feel about each other. It is real. It brought me to my own relationship. In my memories and life, sex plays an important role in my emotional and physical bond with my husband. Watching her go through an intense sexual experience with her husband to reveal what has happened to him, is like a punch to your emotional gut. I was aroused, enticed, and brought to tears. I felt her desire and connection, and felt her loss. I think this movie steps out of adult and into the indie movie genre with both sensuality and tears. Bravo.

Sam Hill at Blushing Books Review:
I just watched both versions of Gone and here's my take-away.  I love the fact that there are multiple versions of the movie, Sssh is leaving it up to the viewing audience to decide the level of explicitness they want to see, which seems to fit into their ethos of not making a "one size fit's all" film.

Gone is the most unusual porn movie I have ever seen.  In fact I'm still trying to process not only the story, but also the way it made me feel.  Porn is not suppose to make you feel, not emotion anyway.  Not only did I find myself sympathizing with Rebecca, but she actually took me on her journey.  Superb acting by new comer Madeline Blue. As for the sex, well it was real, raw and unbelievably hot! 

So what's my problem with the movie. It effected me.  Porn movies are not meant to do that.  I did not expect to wipe away any tears when I sat down and watched it.  I did not expect to care about the characters.

So is Gone jerk off material? No! But wait let me explain...the sex scenes are incredibly hot, but I was so caught  up in the story and the characters, that I just didn't feel like "whipping it out", that's not what this movie is about.  I will tell you one thing though.  Tonight, I am going to make love to my wife and my goal is to have her look at me, the same way Rebecca looked at Todd, with love, desire and passion.

It makes you wonder if this is where the future of porn is headed.

Bottom line: Great movie, and it's a real movie.

Ashley Rosemont, Sex In Media Commentator
I was simply astonished at the depth of this film on so many levels. It combines plot and emotional elements in a way I've never seen in adult films. I also VERY much appreciated the dedication at the end of the film. Great Work!

Monica Jean (Stockroom.com) Review:
I thought the story was unique and the sex was good, you could feel their connection from the beginning and it all looked like real people having real sex and enjoying it (which is all A+ in my book), not porn sex with porn looking people doing it for the camera, and their acting was believable too. I will admit though, from the beginning, I knew I was going to cry (I actually am just going through a tough break up) which puts me not in the porn-mood :( But I think the love emotion came through well (like it does in a good Hollywood romantic scene) which makes the sex scenes even better.