🍿42: Pleasure

As The SP Film Club comes to a close here's something I never expect to write: Elvis is replaced by porn.

Jul 07, 2022

“Well, I’m sorry Evan that the Cohen brothers don’t direct the porn that I watch.”
~ Superbad, 2007

We interrupt this broadcast…

First off, a big thank you to everyone that took part in the SP Film Club! I genuinely enjoy researching and racking my brain for good film recommendations based on your prompts, so if you ever need a film to watch then don’t hesitate to get in touch.

For those who did take part over the weekend, I’d love to know what you think of the films when you get a chance to see them. Also, shout out to Leo of Shuffle Sundays who’s already seen six of the seven films I recommended - that’s a sign of good taste if there ever was one.

In other news, it really feels as though the universe doesn’t want Elvis to feature in SP. While last week came with a number of obstacles that stopped us from going to the cinema, this week COVID entered the building.

As a result, we’ve had to veer off our review schedule once again by reviewing a film that can be streamed at home: Pleasure, which is showing on Mubi in the UK and Apple TV in the USA. Scroll down for the full review.

Now for the headlines:

A bizarre TikTok trend has emerged that’s forced cinemas across the UK to start banning people from wearing suits to showings of Minions: The Rise of Gru. Read more.
After almost 30 years, Michael Mann is releasing a sequel to his classic crime thriller, Heat. The big surprise though is that it’s being released as a novel, though Mann has said he plans to make it a film as well. Read more.
James Cameron has said he might “pass the baton” to another director after the release of the third Avatar film, which was shot back-to-back with the sequel The Way of Water. Read more.

Salty Popcorn is 100% free, but if you enjoy SP, please consider buying us a cinema ticket for just £5 per month - or a bunch of tickets for just £30 per year. Thank you!

Upcoming Releases

Amsterdam

UK: 4 November // USA: 4 November

Margot Robbie, Christian Bale and John David Washington lead a star-studded cast in the latest film from David O. Russel (Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle) set in 1930s Amsterdam.

My Neighbour Adolf

UK: TBC // USA: TBC

This trailer dropped late last night, and in my opinion, looks better than the upcoming Olivia Colman film, Joyride, that nearly made it into SP.

David Hayman plays Polsky, a lonely and grumpy Holocaust survivor that lives peacefully in the remote Colombian countryside. Until, one day a mysterious German man (Udo Kier) moves in next door. A man that Polsky suspects is Adolf Hitler.

Fact of the week

It might come as a surprise, but according to The Independent, the first known sex scene in ‘modern film’ appeared nearly a century ago in the 1933 Czech film, Ecstasy.

As you’d expect, the film was considered incredibly controversial at the time. It angered Hitler, it was banned for five years in the US and was publicly denounced by the Pope.

Of course, the film is fairly PG by modern standards and while it isn’t particularly explicit, audiences were mostly enraged by the fact that it depicted a female orgasm. I wonder how 1933 audiences would react to Pleasure…

Review: Pleasure

Star rating:

2.5 (out of 5)

Where to watch:

USA: Apple TV+ ($5.99)

UK: Mubi

Runtime:

1hr 48m

Director:

Ninja Thyberg

Blurb:

Bella Cherry (Sofia Kappel) arrives in Los Angeles with dreams of becoming an adult film star, but she soon learns that fame won’t come easy as she harnesses her ambition to rise to the top of this mesmerizing and singular world.

The review (NO spoilers):

While Pleasure may be “the most honest film anyone has made about the modern porn industry,” that alone does not make it a stand-out film. The 2.5 stars might be a little harsh, but I fell for the trailer’s pitch of positioning Pleasure to be one of the best indie films of the year and as such, I feel disappointed. I’d like to think I watched this with a fairly open mind and few expectations of what the film would be about (excluding the obvious) but in its near two-hour runtime, it would seem that very little actually happens.

While Pleasure does address issues of consent and coercion, it does so fleetingly.

Yes, these issues come up multiple times but director Ninja Thyberg doesn’t explore or challenge these issues as deeply as one might expect. This film is neither a doom and gloom portrayal nor particularly positive, which leaves it feeling somewhat neutral.

While I’m not suggesting it should be transformed into a hard-to-watch film about the horrors of porn, one uncomfortable (and relatively short) scene is not enough to make a statement. And if the film isn’t out to make a statement, then what’s it for? Once the missing ingredients have been identified, it becomes clear that all that’s left is a fairly basic story, with a shallow plot and minimal character development.

I’m sad to say that this is the first film I’ve watched in a long time where I’ve seen the twists and turns of the plot long before they take place. While there was some good tension, a few funny lines and even some heartwarming moments, there weren’t any surprises and that’s what I found most disappointing.

Stylist has heralded Pleasure as one of the most important films of 2022, but I struggle to see this film standing the test of time. There were no jaw-dropping revelations and the only real point of significant note is the fact that it gives a ‘behind-the-scenes’ glance at the adult film industry. Beyond that, it falls fairly flat and I can’t figure out why it’s stunned so many critics.

Scroll down for The Critic’s Cut and to see what’s in the next issue.

If you liked Pleasure…

Promising Young Woman

2004 | UK: Amazon Prime £2.49 // USA: HBO Max (free for subs)

Although I’m not a huge fan of Pleasure, it does explore a subject matter that few filmmakers have dared to cover and as such, it’s difficult to find a film like it.

That said, Promising Young Woman explores similar issues. Here, Carey Mulligan delivers a striking performance as a young woman who seeks revenge against predatory men. This film, in my opinion, does a lot more to call out and challenge certain behaviours while really making us care about the protagonist.

You can also read our feature review from SP#4, by clicking here.

In the next issue:

Brian and Charles

UK: 8 July // USA: 17 June | Watch the Trailer

The Critic’s Cut 🚨SPOILER ALERT🚨:

At its core, Pleasure is a tale as old as time. You’ve got an ambitious protagonist setting out for fame and fortune. As the main character overcomes a series of challenges, you see just how far they’re willing to go to achieve their dream, which often involves betraying someone close to them. But when our hero gets everything they wanted, they realise that the price they paid to get there wasn’t worth what they ended up with.

Sound familiar? It should, as similar plots can be found in Limitless, Wall Street, Trainspotting, The Social Network and countless others. Even Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol shares similar tropes.

The difference between these titles and Pleasure is how they tell the story. They’re all much more multi-faceted, the relationships between characters run deeper, the protagonists go through more meaningful changes and the plot itself is brought to life through clever cinematic storytelling that keeps their audiences engaged. Meanwhile, Pleasure somehow manages to make a film about porn feel very anticlimactic.

Salty Popcorn