Amazon.co.uk Review
An art house movie that asks questions about the morality of art both on and off screen, The Pornographer is a hard-hitting yet strangely unmoving film. Very much a product of the French school of intellectual cinema, the filmmaker of the title is Jacques Laurent (played by Jean Pierre Leaud), a one-time director of adult films who, finding himself down on his luck, is forced to return to his old medium. Far from being a gaudy Boogie Nights style exposé of an unknown world, the film focuses on Laurent's inner turmoil and his rapidly disintegrating relationship with his wife, as well as his restored one with his son Joseph (Jeremie Renier). Director Betrend Bonello handles this material well, if overdoing the art house clichés a little, but the problem with the film (or for some its strong point) comes with the fairly hardcore sex scenes, presented as part of Laurent's movie. While intended to reflect the emptiness of the character's soul, it is hard to see past them as just an attention-grabbing device. Then again, can a film about pornography legitimately not feature sex? One suspects that this debate will run and run and, in its way, The Pornographer has much to say on the subject.
On the DVD: The Pornographer's intended release fell foul of the BBFC, who objected to one particularly explicit scene, a continuing argument that provides much of the material for the DVD's extra features. There is a reproduction of the BFFC ruling, a statement in reply from Bonello (which demonstrate the similarities he shares with his fictional counterpart, certainly when it comes to a vision of erotica) and an excellent essay from critic Pierre Perrene. In addition there are biographies, the cinematic trailer and an option to view the film with or without English subtitles. Whatever the moral questions involved, Bonello's film is a visual treat and his stylish eye is well represented by this format. --Phil Udell
Customer Reviews:
Rather good.......2007-03-30
Sorry to disagree with everyone, but I thought this was really rather good. An intelligent, thoughtful, film. But if you're looking for titillation you'll be sadly disappointed.
Torpid tale of a disappointed man.......2006-04-10
"The Pornographer" is a languid character portrait of an ageing ,glum French porn director ,played by Jean Pierre Leaud , who has become disenchanted with his chosen profession. This professional torpor parallels the malaise in his personal life ,with his second marriage ending in separation for no apparent reason other than his desire for solitude and a good , long sulk. There are some explicit sex scenes early on in the film ,used to convey Leaud's growing distaste for his job ,and his embarrassment at being a 50 year old porn director is reflected in his sheepish behaviour with his student son ,with whom he is now reconciled after their relationship broke down when the son discovered what Dad really did for a living. Leaud's character is not a particularly likeable one and the movie doesn't convey any profound message or provide any meaningful insight into the human condition , although it does affect to do so. The cinematography is the best part of "The Pornographer" and the scene with the sheep grazing on a hillside is for me the highlight of the film.
Most boring film ever made?.......2003-03-09
This film is unbelievably tedious. Alright - there is a sex scene - but (by design) it's sterile and lifeless. That was to demonstrate the hero's disenchantment with porn. But the rest of the film is sterile and lifeless too. It's impossible to warm to Jeanne-Pierre Leaud's world-weary character who mopes and shuffles his way through the film, from one gloomy interior to another. He rediscovers his son, who lives with some angry fellow students. They demonstrate their anger by muteness - great. An unmitigated bore. The moral of the tale? Never buy a film because of sex. Buy a porn video instead and get what you were looking for all along.
Pornography? You decide..........2002-11-23
The pornographer is a typically French film. Beautiful locations and lots of deep discussions. the story centres on a porn film director who is rapidly being left behind by the business. He feels the need in later life to inject humanity into the films while those around him are interested in filming only the sex. One memorable scene is where they have just finished filming a sex scene and he turns to his co-director and suggests that the end of the film should contain the birth of the couple's child! All this is combined with the breakdown of his relationship with his wife, and the slow reconciliation with his son, again, typical French fare.
Much has been made of the 11 second cut of the money shot over the porn actress's face. However, although the film is very explicit in a few places I can't see how the money shot would have furthered the plot and its probably best left out. AS a discussion of pornography it is very interesting; its one of those films that purports to condemn aspects of the porn business but ends up actually compounding the ideas. This isn't a bad thing though- it just makes for more interesting discussions with your friends!
Customer Reviews:
the last of true cinema.......2005-11-21
The Last of England is like jarman's The garden, The Angelic conversation, Glitterbug and even Blue (in a quircky sort of way), a movie that consists of film- and sound colages. No lineary narrative, no dialogue, just found footages, super 8 visuals and a bizarre collection of music: original score by Simon Turner, and existing pieces like that of Barry Adamson, Andy Gill, a song that is called 'Disco death', and the stunning voice of Diamanda Galas. never has an atmosphere been so utterly depressing and yet ever so arresting and captivating. Jarman is a visual poet, a visionair of it's own, talking through series of disturbing images about opression, alienatiuon and downfall of society as we know it. This is cinema-non-grata at it's best, or: anti-cinema if you will either, because it steps on all written and not-written rules on moviemaking and still succeeds in being art in a true sense. Beware, this movie consists of nothing other than sequences that will haunt you and even mess you up. Especially the final sequence in which a young bride, caught by an unearthly storm, tears up and partly eats up her own wedding dress, driven by an agony for which there is no explanation. But Jarman proves that great cinema can be without explanation.
UK DVD:
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- You Are Not Alone [1980] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
- 11:14 [2003]
UK DVD List
UK DVD
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