Lovelace (2013)

Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman's biopic of Linda Lovelace's rise to fame and subsequent coercion and degradation within in the porn industry seems slight at first glance- it's only ninety odd minutes long. The immediate and obvious comparison piece is Paul Thomas Anderson's Boogie Nights (1997), a fictional account of a porn star loosely based on former star John Holmes.

The approach Lovelace takes is an interesting one, firstly playing out Linda's tale as it initially seems; a dream come true through a perfect marriage to Chuck Trainer (an excellent Peter Sarsgaard) after fleeing her overbearing parents, and subsequent successful audition for what was to become the most successful porn film ever made at the time, Deep Throat (1972), turning Linda into a star.

The second half, based on Linda's memoir Ordeal (1980), gives us a more accurate portrayal of the same story, dealing with her horrific treatment by those in the industry, and most horrifyingly by Chuck himself.

Amanda Seyfried is due plenty of credit for her performance as Linda, convincing in both halves of the film; it's not an easy portrayal to convey and she does it very well.

Lovelace's shortcomings lie in both its length and its insistence on implying the stories' horrors rather than showing them.

Whilst Linda's treatment was utterly deplorable, we know this before the film gets going, the films' cutting away as something really nasty is about to happen might well save the audience from having to sit through it, but eventually means you don't witness Chuck's worst offenses, letting him off the hook somewhat.

The film works well in the approach it takes with telling two differing stories, but ultimately doesn't go far enough in depicting the atrocities committed by those eventually outed by Linda's book.

That's not to say Lovelace isn't a difficult watch at times; rather certain characters who got away with it at the time, somehow manage to avoid the full force of damnation once more.

But this is a well-made and solid film, anchored by an excellent performance from Seyfried. 6.8/10