Review of Lovelace (2013) by Wayne C — 11 Aug 2013

Amanda Seyfried looks ready to tear into the role of Linda Lovelace, the sultry star of Deep Throat who helped usher a new age of accessible prn in 1970's America. This is nothing like her sweet Cosette in Les Miz, and Seyfried is terrific in the role.

She digs deep to find just the right amount of wide-eyed innocence of a Florida teenager who rebelled against her parents (Robert Patrick and Sharon Stone) by marrying sleazy, abusive entrepreneur Chuck Traynor (Peter Sarsgaard).

Directors Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman skillfully set up the porn scene of the 70's but fall short of showing what really attracts a young innocent like Lovelace, whether its impromptu porn families or invites from Hugh Hefner (as played by James Franco, WTF?).

Unlike that other epic of the 7-0's porn scene, Boogie Nights, Lovelace never shows us how the folks in the business forge real connections, the only connections they have left. You never see the what really led Linda into what she considered hell.

Seyfried could have played that like nobody's business, but her burden, which took years to break from, becomes our burden. Lovelace is no more than a cautionary tale. It indulges in the abuse suffered at the hands of Chuck and porn director Gerard Damiano (Hank Azaria) and Mob-connected producers (Bobby Cannavale, Chris Noth).

Instead of understanding Linda, getting insider her head, we only remain outsiders looking on her with pity. Wasted opportunity.