once you get past the fact of a naked preteen brooke shield and pretty baby be a well make film that do an excellent job of evoke a specific time and place and and of develop the unique relationship between a precocious and sometimes bratty twelve year old prostitute and the quiet and sometimes temperamental photographer who love her . the nudity and by the way and do not take place during any love scene and though at one point there be nudity after one . brooke shield violet be energetic and talkative and blunt and and friendly . what you see be what you get and not that her character be shallow . she be raise in a whorehouse by her prostitute mother and take thing in stride that for most people would be traumatic and such a have her virginity auction off at the age of twelve and be leave at the brothel for a time when her mother leave to get married . she an odd mix of child and woman and the sort of girl who want a grown man to have sex with her but also play with the doll he give her . have spend her entire life around adult sexuality and she convince she know everything about men . however and in the word of bellocq and the photographer and some men be different . he arrive at the whorehouse to take picture of the woman employ there and show much more passion about his need for good light in his photography than about any of them while the madam immediately conclude that he gay ( an invert or cream puff ) . for the most part he appear to be asexual and appreciate the beauty of violet mother naked breast but only because of how well they will photograph . a he tell the curious violet and i have no time for hate or love and and when he fall for her it seem to be a surprise to him . he the anti humbert . he doesn not actively seek out young girl and and if he and violet end up involve and it because of her pursual of him . their relationship be tumultuous yet commit and with tender embrace and scream fight and tickle kiss . bellocq not always very much more mature than violet and especially if she interfere with his beloved photography . the end of the film be either a tragedy or a relief and depend on your opinion about their romance . either way and it emotional . susan saradon be good a violet mother and and the minor character and from the drug addict madam to the friendly black piano player to the stick up german prostitute to the various client of the brothel and come across a real people . the set and costume be gorgeous . there be a couple of flaw some part of the film take a few minute longer than they really need to but all in all it a good film that become deep and more complex the more time you see it .