Elektra Luxx

"What kind of person are you?" Retiring pregnant porn star Elektra Luxx (Gugino) fills her days by teaching a sexology class. After being approached by a stranger with a tie to her dead ex-boyfriend her day starts to get weird. If you have seen the previews to this then you think you know what the movie is about. You would be wrong. From what I saw I expected a very funny comedy. While this movie does have it's funny moments, at its core it actually a very moving story. A woman who is trying to figure out where her life is is the one everyone seems to go to for advice, help or anything she can provide. Being that the movie is about a porn star there are a few pretty raunchy scenes and dialog, but no where near what you would have expected. There is a shot a a male and female butt and that is the extent of the nudity. The acting and characters are very entertaining that it makes you want to watch and see everyone get what they want. This is not at all what I expected, it was better. Overall a very touching, and somewhat funny story about finding out and being comfortable with who you are. I give it a B+.

Would I watch it again? - I think I actually would.

*Also try - Finding Bliss

Elektra Luxx is the slightly improved sequel to Women in Trouble. If you enjoyed that movie at all, then this one will also probably be worth your time. 

A lot of the failed attempts at humor where left out this time around, and the story focus also lies more heavily on the characters of Elektra (Carla Gugino), Holly Rocket (Adrianne Palicki), Bambi (Emmanuelle Chriqui), and Bert (Joseph Gordon-Levitt). The story lines of those characters in the first movie are continued right where they left off, and they're also joined by a few new faces like Timothy Olyphant, Malin Akerman and Lucy Punch. 

Elektra Luxx is also a much tamer movie than Women in Trouble, despite the fact that most of its characters are still porn stars. Besides a few curse words, this could have been a PG-13 film. 

As I said before, check this out if you're interested in the continued lives of the characters from Women in Trouble (the doors are left wide open at the end of this movie for a third entry in the series). Otherwise, there's not a whole lot of reasons to go out of your way to see this.

Sebastian Gutierrez's dialogue oriented 'Elektra Luxx' is somewhat better than his next film 'Girl Walks Into A Bar', at least in terms of writing, especially where dialogue is concerned. It's wittier, fresher and funnier and fits well with the situations. 'Elektra Luxx' also has a film-noire style feel to it. The story of the title character juxtaposes with two others: one about Luxx's 'diehard' and desperate fanboy blogger Bert who's trying to move on with life post Luxx's film career (she quit) and another involving Luxx's former costar Holly. I thought the latter story, though well acted in by Adrianne Palicki and Emannuelle Chriqui, barely contributed to the film and perhaps it should have been left out as it only slows down the pace. The overall pacing is also uneven. At times the lighting feels excessive. The score is well utilized and pleasant to the ears. Carla Gugino is terrific in the title role and she is well-supported by Adrianne Palicki, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Kathleen Quinlan and Marley Shelton. There's also an interesting cameo by one of the finest actresses.

To sum it up, 'Elektra Luxx' is refreshing. It has a novel premise and Gutierrez steers away from clichés. Some good editing was required to tighten it up a little.

On March 14th in Austin, TX, I headed into the World Premiere of "Elektra Luxx" at the Paramount Theater and boy was I in for a treat. I was so pumped just being at SXSW but sitting a few seats away from me were Malin Akerman, Carla Gugino, Emma Bell, Emmanuelle Chriqui, and director/writer Sebastian Gutierrez. About an hour into the film, the worst thing that could ever happen to a director happened...the movie screen went blank during the world premiere. Within a few minutes, Sebastian Gutierrez appeared on stage doing a one man show entertaining the audience to the highest level possible. After about 20 mins, the cast came on stage to help fill the time. This is when my brilliant ass decided to ask the most awkward question to ask a filmmaker period, let alone during a chaotic screening. I began to ask "how do you make a sequel to a film that no one saw the original of?" After that sentence came out of my mouth, I actually felt really bad for asking it because I didn't realize how harsh it sounded but luckily for me Sebastian Gutierrez decided to answer it honestly and poke fun at me a bit in the process. The guy is awesome. I have met a ton of directors and celebrities and he ranks up there as the coolest guy I met in showbiz. He just seemed like the kind of guy who really valued his fans and I truly admire the man now. But as the 45 minute mark drew near, Janet Pierson let everyone know we would not be able to see the ending of "Elektra Luxx" tonight as the projector could not be fixed.

About two weeks ago, I was browsing online and came across the Gen Art Film Festival and to my surprise "Elektra Luxx" was playing at the festival. I knew I had to get tickets and surely enough just a few days later I did. So finally on Friday April 9, 2010...I entered the theater took my seat right across from Mr. Gutierrez again and shortly the film began...

"Elektra Luxx" is the sequel to the film, "Women in Trouble." For the most part, this film focuses around the life of "Elektra Luxx (played by the beautiful and very talented Carla Gugino) and her retirement from the porn industry. In the film, Elektra is trying to just live a normal life by teaching a class called "How to have sex like a porn star." Shortly into the film, her past comes back to haunt her as she gets a surprise visit from Cora (Marley Shelton) who has some information about her husband. The film only continues to get more interesting as it goes along.. A lot of laughs and some dramedy filled moments ensue...

"Elektra Luxx" has a cast of some of the most beautiful women in showbiz and surprisingly all of them are great actresses as well. Carla Gugino's lead role as Elektra is not only fun but a very good performance. Her character isn't as simple as you may think and Gugino plays the role with such passion that you just enjoy every moment she is on screen. Marley Shelton plays Cora and is very good even though she has very limited screen time. Emmanuelle Chriqui is always pleasure to watch as Bambi. Her role of playing the all business & no fun girl perfectly offsets her partner in crime Holly Rocket played by Adrianne Palicki. Holly Rocket is is my favorite character in the film as well as the funniest. She seems dumb on the surface but if you actually pay attention to her character, she really isn't and that's what I love about it. Joseph Gordon Levitt is great in the film as Burt Rodriguez. Levitt steals the show every moment he is on screen. Malin Akerman's character Trixie isn't in the film all that much but for what little screen time she has, her character looks like it's going to show some promise in the next film. Overall, everyone does an amazing job even the host of people I haven't listed but these are the main ones.

Sebastian Gutierrez pulled a "Woody Allen" so to speak and directed, wrote, and produced the film. He is truly great at doing all of those things. I guess having done a lot of writing for "Mainstream Hollywood" it is nice to see him create something more independent. After having seen two different Q&A sessions with Sebastian, I would have to say that he is one of my most driven and passionate directors in the biz. He loves film and he loves his cast and it truly shows. One thing I have to mention is that everyone in the cast pointed out was that Sebastian treats everyone like family and that shows. These films "Women in Trouble" and "Elektra Luxx," are his babies and while some may not appreciate them for what they are, I really enjoy the films thus far and can't wait to see the final chapter "Women in Ecstasy" next year. Great Job Sebastian! I applaud you and support your work. I would love to be in or work on one of your films one day.

Bottom Line: "Elektra Luxx" isn't for everyone and with that being said you have to have a good appreciation for fun independent films in order to appreciate the film. Horny guys seeing this film hoping to see a lot of sex will surely be disappointed. This movie is very much a character driven film that tells a lot of interesting stories. There are a lot of laughs to be had but also quite a few heartfelt moments thrown in as well. "Elektra Luxx" is a movie that is definitely geared towards a mature and smart audience. It has a beautiful and talented cast and I highly recommend it.

MovieManMenzel's final rating for "Elektra Luxx" is a 9/10.

Elektra Luxx tries to blend comedy, drama, and satire into a quirky story, but it never fully commits to any of them. The premise-following a retired adult film star navigating a new life-has potential, but the execution feels uneven. Some moments shine with clever dialogue and offbeat humor, but the film often meanders without a clear direction.

Carla Gugino is the highlight here, bringing charm and depth to the title role. She does her best with the material, but the script doesn't always give her much to work with. The supporting cast adds some amusing moments, but the overall story lacks a strong narrative drive, making it feel disjointed.

While there are flashes of wit and interesting character moments, Elektra Luxx ultimately falls short of being truly memorable. It's an okay watch if you're in the mood for something light and offbeat, but don't expect anything groundbreaking.

Carla Gugino is great, but the movie itself doesn't fully deliver on its promise.