Pleasure

It's pretty much true that everytime there's a mainstream movie about the adult industry, it always focuses on the extremes on one end; where there tends to be a very anti-porn industry undertone that guides these movies.

So when you're making a movie about the industry with many actual performers showing up as themselves, there was the risk of it being extreme on the pro-industry end. But to my pleasant surprise, the movie composed itself with a lot of nuance on both ends of the argument to share its story without a strong bias on either side; something I very much appreciate. Pleasure is a very decent movie, but with very little originality in my opinion. Yes, I liked its tone overall, but the story plays out exactly the way you'd think it would by the first 15 minutes. It certainly wasn't boring, but it never captivated as much as it had the potential to, and that's something I wish this movie could have done different.

Overall however, it was a decent watch, but more importantly, it was made with the right frame of mind... and that's what truly stood out to me.

Okay so "Pleasure" delves into what it is like to be a porn star. It comes equipped with all of the debauchery you would expect to portray this sometimes sordid craft. However, porn is something we're all intimately acquainted with and we all have a least a passing passion for how it is done.

The girls involved. The challenges they face working in such an industry. The guys they have to deal with on set. Even to the difficulties that male porn stars experience with 'being prepared and ready to go'

Boogie Nights was the only other film to really memorialize the porn industry and obviously it was fantastic. It crystallized the early porno scene industry. Pleasure does much the same but without a lot of the bravado and drugs. It feels very intimate and as though it were something that happened to the writer.

It captures the tensity of a live sex scene very well and you can even sense the nerves of the crew as they do their best to make the girls feel everything is professional and by the book. However it does get into the hardcore scenes, and even beyond that at times. Too far beyond it. The surreal nature of a "rough" scene and blurring the lines of what is performative art and what is bordering on sexual abuse and rape. Only the girls willingness to go through with it makes the act forgivable at all. I am not a fan of hardcore porn and this film doesn't glorify it. Much the opposite. It's an important film for pretty much everyone to see. Especially the younger generation that has been consuming porn for the entire lives via the internet.

My only complaint would be that I think some of the cinematic scenes could have been edited down quite a bit. The movie had a few pacing issues although it didn't really matter it just felt... a little weirdly structured. I mean honestly the film is an 8 for me and I am really really picky. :O

I found the film to be exceedingly entertaining and I really loved the wholesome acting of Linnea. After seeing it there are ALOT of takeaway feelings involved---

In closing I think the message of the film was to just give us a real glimpse of the adult entertainment world. Obviously the industry is changing now and pornstars/sex workers are getting rid of the middle man and producing their own content on sites like Onlyfans.

The story of a 19-year-old Swedish beauty who makes her way to Hollywood in order to become the next big porn star. The film has rightly had its fair share of publicity, due to the graphic scenes featured throughout. However, that shock value soon wears thin, leaving a somewhat hollow tale of cold-hearted loneliness. Still, it earns a slim recommendation due to a stunning central performance from newcomer, Sofia Kappel.

I didn't think this story was all that compelling or satisfyingly told. There were some details that were memorable, but I really didn't get invested in where it was going. I will agree that the lead actress did an amazing job, and most everyone else brought a realism to their roles, especially since they work in the adult film industry in real life. But I didn't feel like there was much connection between the scenes. Yes, the overall goal of the main character remains consistent, but I didn't feel like we were shown what motivated her to make the specific choices she did much of the time. The effect is that the story doesn't really progress and build believably. Even though it has an outstanding central performance, I felt this was a fairly average drama overall which happened to have a few scenes that were difficult to watch.

'Pleasure (2021)' isn't exactly an enjoyable experience, and the irony of its title doesn't seem lost on writer-director Ninja Thyberg. This frank and unapologetic exploration of the Los Angeles porn industry almost feels like an exposé at times, with its naturalistic presentation granting it a fly-on-the-wall feel which makes its more shocking moments all the more upsetting. Indeed, there are a few scenes which are incredibly difficult to watch. The most notable of these is the filming of a rough and degrading three-way scene which our protagonist continues to consent to only because she has no other option - which, of course, means she doesn't consent at all. It stands in stark contrast to a similar scene shown just minutes earlier, the shooting of which has its star surrounded by people who make sure she's comfortable and genuinely feel as though they're concerned for her safety (it's no accident that a lot of these people are women). The picture constantly presents this push-pull between how the porn industry ought to work and how it actually does, remaining relatively neutral to the concept but condemning its execution. Having said that, the overwhelming feeling that this picture provokes is undeniably icky. If porn is something you're into, I can see this actually putting you off. Whether or not that is its intention is unclear, especially considering that the flick does go out of its way to include both the good and the bad parts of its protagonist's journey. Perhaps its goal is to be as realistic as possible, not necessarily impartial but not forceful in its implied assertions. I suppose this is how it manages to be both empathetic and non-judgemental towards the women who seek a career in porn and unsympathetic towards the men who take advantage of them. Though the feature isn't especially entertaining in the traditional sense (it certainly isn't fun), it's a consistently challenging and compelling affair that manages to be explicit enough to feel as though it's doing its taboo subject justice (and to be genuinely shocking at times) but not so explicit as to feel as though it's overly gratuitous or insensitive. Sofia Kappel delivers a bold, bracing debut performance (apparently, auditioning for the film was a way to push her out of her comfort zone) and the rest of its cast - which is mostly comprised of current or former porn performers, producers and directors - is surprisingly good, too. The flick doesn't feel exploitative at all, taking a fairly feminist approach to its material and always feeling like it has something to say. Everything we see is necessary in telling this tale, which is rare even for something that isn't dealing with a potentially tricky topic. It's funny how nobody blinks an eye when seeing someone's head get blown off in a movie, but almost everyone feels at least a little uncomfortable when someone takes their clothes off and starts having sex. This piece almost strives to make you uncomfortable because it wants you to face the realities of a pretty shady business. The interesting thing about it, though, is that it isn't the sex itself that gets under your skin. Sexual violence is presented as truly disgusting and upsetting, as it should be, but it's also presented as insidious and pervasive. It isn't something that just happens, it's something that's enabled and justified by those with the power to do so. It works its way into every industry one way or another, so it's naturally present in an industry that concerns itself almost solely with sex. The thing is, though, it shouldn't be. Sex work is work and everyone deserves to be and feel safe in their workplace. Tangent aside, this is a strong movie that's as engaging as it is off-putting. If you can handle it, it's worth a watch.