THE PORNOGRAPHER A film review by Steve Rhodes Copyright 2000 Steve Rhodes RATING (0 TO ****): *** 1/2
"See, my parents never talked to me about sex," explains the boyishly handsome Paul Ryan (Michael DeGood), a 25-year-old man with the maturity level of a young teen. "If I ever talked about a girl in class, my parents would tease me."
Not having a clue as to how to ask a woman out, Paul turns instead to a fantasy world of pornography and prostitutes, not that he finds it particularly fulfilling. "Lately I've been wanting something different, something more," he tells us of his desire for a genuine relationship. This is not surprising since he is secure but unhappy with his world of paid sex. He needs a real relationship with a woman. His prostitutes will say whatever he wants, but he knows that their words have no meaning.
Writer/director Doug Atchison's THE PORNOGRAPHER is a wonderful film quite comparable to the highly acclaimed and popular BOOGIE NIGHTS. Even if it isn't quite as funny as BOOGIE NIGHTS, THE PORNOGRAPHER is much more genuine and touching. As the director correctly explained at our screening, "the story is more about love, loneliness and corruption than pornography."
Paul's first feeble attempts to secure dates end disastrously. Unable to master the dating ritual, he decides to make semi-autobiographical porn flicks in which he can get the girl. After all, he reasons, porn flicks are so poorly made and plotless that he is confident that he could do better.
Seeing himself as a successful adult film director, he goes to one of the big porn studios to secure a position. Producer Spano (Craig Wasson), a Jerry Springer look-alike, explains the business to him. (Spano proudly shows off his equivalent of an Oscar for the best girl-to-girl sex movie of 1994.)
"This is where dreams come true," Spano says of the adult film industry. "Twenty percent of video rentals are for adult videos," he reminds Paul, who looks upon Spano as a mentor and hero.
The reality of the business turns out to be much more gruesome than Paul ever imagined. Spano sends Paul to meet Charise (Monique Parent), a hard nosed, veteran porn actress who uses Paul, much as the producers use young actresses, as she follows her scheme to setup her own studio.
Spano demands the equivalent of the ruby slippers before he will let Paul make pictures for him. All Paul need do is bring back -- read corrupt -- some innocent young woman who has never done anything in the sex industry before. Paul knows just the woman, Kate (Katheryn Cain), a sweet young Tennessean who is a broke, young actress living in LA. The problem is that Kate is a charmingly naive, girl-next-door type whom he feels guilty about leading astray. You can almost see Paul's angel and devil speaking to him on opposite shoulders.
Paul pulls out all stops to lure Kate in. "The risk takers, they're the ones that get ahead. They're the ones that pass you by in the limousines," he tells her, repeating lines that he heard earlier. "This is about dreams," he tells her in an attempt to clinch his deal with her to do just a little test video in a bikini.
Parts of the film are hilarious with most of the best lines being unprintable. Its excellent acting and handsome look belie its very low budget. Partly tragic, frequently funny and always touching, the film creates characters you care about even when they go astray. A deeply moving film with the porn industry as its backdrop, THE PORNOGRAPHER shows indie films at their best and without a single witch.
THE PORNOGRAPHER runs 1:29. It is not rated but might be an R for strong sexuality, nudity, drug usage, language and brief violence. The film would be acceptable for high school seniors.
Email: Steve.Rhodes@InternetReviews.com Web: http://www.InternetReviews.com
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