Lovelace

Described as the 'Gone With The Wind' of pornographic movies, Deep Throat was released in 1972 to universal critical acclaim (admittedly, certain types of critics) and went on to become one of the most profitable movies of all time. The star of the movie was Linda Lovelace (Amanda Seyfried), who was a naïve ingénue under the stern eye and sterner hand of her mother (Sharon Stone, terrifying) and father (Robert Patrick, heartbreaking), until she meets Chuck Trainer (Peter Saarsgard). Initially the nicest guy in the world, it's not long before they get married, he turns out to be abusive, they get run into debt, and he pimps her out. Which is how a big-shot porno producer comes across her (poorly phrased, we know) and sticks her in his movie once he sees a certain 'talent' she's capable of.

Oddly enough for a tell-all movie, it never explicitly goes into detail about this 'talent' of hers, just kind of pussyfooting around it, and while it's not exactly rocket-science to figure out, it's still weird that they never just come out and say it. But then nothing in this movie is approached with any kind of detail, as every character and event is laid out with the broadest of strokes. How did she so willingly go from a buttoned-up priss to exhibitionist princess? Why did Chuck suddenly become the devil incarnate? You'd best work it out for yourself, because Lovelace isn't here to fill in those blanks.

Thankfully, Seyfried and Saarsgard turn into two properly stellar performances, which absolutely help elevate the material they're in. There's also a killer supporting cast, including Eric Roberts, Chloe Sevigny, Wes Bentley, Adam Brody, Chris Noth, Hank Azaria and, most distractingly of all, James Franco as Hugh Hefner. They all bring their A-game, and the realistic (if uninspired) 70s look of the movie really helps to immerse you in the story.

It's just such a shame that the plot is so 'Made For Daytime TV'. There are some interesting stories about Lovelace that the film glosses over - like how Deep Throat kick-started a new sexual revolution, or Lovelace's anti-porn stance later in life, or the similarities between her and today's sex-tape celebrities - and even some that it ignores completely, like the fact she returned to make Deep Throat 2. So it's such a shame that any of those great stories get passed over for this 'just good' one.