Fluffer

After Paul Thomas Anderson's "Boogie Nights", the porn industry has been explored in a few interesting ways. Last year's "Wonderland" showed the downfall of porn legend John Holmes, a study of how desperate he became after realizing he hasn't been seen for anything but his "manhood". I recently saw "The Fluffer" which is detached to its subject, and simply shows how the characters are affected by their work.

"The Fluffer" is a film that unflinchingly shows the work of a small gay porn studio. I questioned its taste in some points, but I did in "Boogie Nights" also. I liked how it realistically shows how sex outweighing love leads to insanity in some form or another, but it is extremely hard to watch in spots.

Wash Westmoreland's story follows a pure young man named Sean who lets himself be degraded and used in his work as a cameraman in the studio. He falls for the studio's biggest star, Johnny Rebel. Rebel is straight, or so they say, but Sean can't help but love him. I found this point interesting, how Rebel (and I'm sure many straight porno stars) reduces himself to the homosexual market for more money. Anyway, Sean lets himself be dehumanized by Rebel and soon the industry sends all their lives in the wrong direction.

As a whole, "The Fluffer" doesn't fully succeed. Its messages are all told in familiar ways, (note the use of American flags to show the faded American dream for example) and the ending isn't fully convincing. However, it is a film that never stops entertaining and is definitely one of the very bravest depictions of the porn industry I've ever seen.

(2 and 1/2 out of 4)

I just recently saw "the Fluffer" this weekend. I'd read many positive reviews of the film but came to gather a different feeling from watching it. Most movies with the words "coming of age story" on the back are usually hints that the lead character will go through many situations and we'll see them develope into their "new self" by the end. However, by the end of this movie i didn't feel like i knew anything more about the main character Sean. The movie starts off well, as we see Sean become more and more obsessed with gay-for-pay porn star Johnny Rebel, but somewhere in the near middle it begins to spiral into too many directions. I had a hard time figuring out who was the main character after a while, Johnny or Sean?

Writer Wash West(moreland), better known for adult titles, begins to lose track also. It's not a bad debut for an adult writer and those of us who have been through the same situation as Sean will see a good portrayal of how it feels to love someone who doesn't love you back. The main problem is that Sean is as ambiguous of a character as Rebel, and it soon seems that his whole problem is in him and not his situation with Johnny. If this film was about that, it would be great...but it's not. The character depth and film direction is lacking, just as how commonly it lacks in adult films,which is a kind of an ironic trait to the film.

Bottom line: performances are very good, the movie is entertaining but the writing lacks some direction. If it were an actual adult film, it would be the most dramatic one i've ever seen.

I LOVE THIS MOVIE ~! i am not of gay nature, but me and my friend rented this last night as a joke... expecting to just see some gay porn. the story actually touched us... as did the pornographer. other people say the stories of pornographers do not matter... that they have nothing important to offer. this movie just proves them wrong... it shows that everybody has a story to tell... and this one was interesting. we loved the part where we saw his penis! for all the people who want what they can't have... this movie is for all you lustless lovers.

What is The Fluffer? Beats me...part naughty gay comedy, part bizarre love triangle, part down & dirty noir and ultimately, kind of a mess. The filmmakers can't seem to make up their own mind about the fascination and repulsion of the porn industry, and so tease and titillate the viewer while telegraphing despair, destruction, death. It's frustrating not only because there is (at least) a provocative story to tell but also because the acting is pretty consistently on a high level, with strong leads and good supporting players. Overall, definitely a notch above most routine gay-indie-product out there, and I'd definitely take a chance on the next project from these filmmakers.

There were some big...innuendos in this film.

Was that Debbie Harry? Well, the pregnant dancer did make an effort.

Beefacake, too. An effort in an outrageous caricature of Brando's Kowalski.

The rest is blown, blown high in the sky.

No, thanks.

P.S. Why not try the contrary: portray life of porn actors as dreary civil servants, and the way through bureaucracy they come to fall in love with each other, and save the American Cream.

P.S.2 This is unbelievable. One has to write ten lines at least. Since it is so, then, to paraphrase Dali: mediocre directors (and writers), no matter how much you strive to be bad, you will always remain mediocre. Little tough, that Dali? Well, he doesn't chew his premise.

I don't care about a premise if the execution (no pun intended) does not respect it. Why should I?