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[Göteborg FF] What the director achieves in this chronicle of the rise of a porn star is hard to find. Deconstructing a certain misogyny in the industry, the privileged male position (agents, directors, big stars are men), the protagonist begins a journey that will not be consolidated until she assumes precisely a male attitude. Provocative, explicit and unpleasant at times, the director takes the risk of not showing a single vagina but many penises. That this could be a risk for a commercial film explains everything.
This is a surprisingly well written and directed movie. I was expecting it to be a sleazy nude fest. There is nudity and adult themes throughout. However the character development is great and the story opens the window into the adult film industry and what happens behind the scenes.
I was able to make it through half of this movie before I couldn't take anymore. Who thought this needed to be made? I can't imagine finding anything less interesting than a day in the life of adult film stars. Don't get me wrong - I don't think my life is any more interesting, and that's the point. I had expected there to be some kind of angle like there was in the (criminally underrated) tv show The Deuce.
Okay, Pleasure is an indie drama, through and through. It feels like a documentary on the porn industry, and the dialog must have been improvised in more than half of the movie.
The story is told from the point of view of our lead, Bella Cherry. She is equal parts ambitious, and in over her head.
While I appreciate how the film is perhaps taking an honest look at being in porn, as opposed to demonizing or romanticizing it, there is not a fleshed-out story here. I was onboard with wherever this was headed, but then it just ends.
We never get to know any information about Bella's past, which is fine, but then you have to complete her journey as is. I really feel like this was a missed opportunity. I'm just super disappointed there was no conclusion, just first act, second, credits.
Aside from the aforementioned issue, this is good. There is quite a lot of nudity, as one would expect, and I respect how the director strays from shooting actual penetration. Weird for me to say that, but this is not that kind of movie. Go see Nymphomaniac.
The movie also has several porn actors, which gives it a high level of authenticity.
Many strong moments here: I really felt Bella's initial alienation, followed by her bond with her housemates. On the other hand, there were some moments that were a little difficult to watch. If you're someone who is sensitive to any type of violent sex, steer clear.
It's a pity, I wanted to like this, and I did, for the most part. I just wish this had an actual ending.
Nice intentions, but the realization of the film is not all that great. Backstage porn can be brutal, we get that, but why do you have to put in the classic story of the jealous girl of the popular girl? It's supposed to be a matter taken seriously, not a little shit for slightly older teenagers.
Anyway, it's not a bad movie, it's watchable (especially if you're a pig who will only watch the movie for the explicit scenes, and there are a lot of them) but it's meh
5/10
A grimey look at the inner workings of the porn industry, warts and all. Something is unsettling about it all, but nothing is brazenly pointed out or featured. It's all just played, plain-faced for the viewer to see. There are hidden messages here that will be up to the viewer to discern, but the finished product leaves the impact I feel it set out to achieve. An interesting if shallow character study, where the industry it's exposing is probably more the main character than the protagonist herself.
Quite brutal. Not on the level of irreversible but there was one scene which was too much. The movie doesn't glamorise the porn industry, which is a good thing.
A surprisingly watchable movie. Maybe not something to watch on the big screen with your family or friends, but on your computer with the option to fast forward it's pretty entertaining.
The scenes are also surprisingly well written and acted. Some seem to be improvised, with people misspeaking and it's still all in the movie. Add to the realism.
@miguelreina
No, the big porn stars are not male. They're female. You have to be brainwashed not not realize men are just replaceable object in this industry. The only man ppl even remember might be Rocco Sifredi. Women are the stars. It's all about them. And if you think they're mistreated in some genres, you havent been paying attention to the movie. Some ppl (m & f) do that because they love it, or because it pays well. Does the existence of femdom mean the industry is misandrist? Use your head.
You can see that it parodies the Showgirls of Verhoeven, but the details of porno making just so strong
If you like watching porn for the story, this is the movie for you. Yes there is some adult action in this film, but it’s not erotic or enticing. I believe that is the intent, to show the gritty mercenary nature of the adult film industry. The story of the main character jumps all over the place, I think it’s trying to show the path for new talent, but just when she finds her niche in bondage, she drops everything and all her friends, to literally bet her ass to try to be the new IT girl and then quits when it goes a little wrong.
Sofia Kappel, some performance!
As for 'Pleasure' as a whole, quite striking! They did a fantastic job at making every scene, particularly the porn set scenes, feel incredibly real - it feels documentary-esque at a fair few points. It's an erotic drama and, well, a genre has seldom been so apt. It portrays the porn industry in an unfortunately believable and uncomfortable way. I felt uneasy for the majority, but that's very much the intention.
No doubt these type of films aren't to a lot of people's taste, but if they are - I'd recommend this 2021 release.
File alongside your horror movie collection.
There isn't a lot of pleasure for the protagonist of this movie, despite her naive assumptions about her hoped-for career. This is a troubling and true to life story that features a tremendous performance from Kappel in the lead role.
brutal, hard and realistic. ok it's also voyeur but it's a good warning for all person Who want to try, or even for people Who "consume" that.
This was actually a pretty good movie. It definitely shows how a lot of people involved in the porn industry only care about their own self interest, and ultimately your a fool if you think anyone is truly your friend and they actually care about you. It’s a very shallow lifestyle.
I thought the acting was very natural from all involved.
There's something wrong with this Swedish girl, she's really not right.
Shout by Saint PaulyBlockedParent2022-01-28T00:57:43Z
Missed the chance to call it A Star is Porn.