Review of The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996) by Pure Rock Fury — 03 Dec 2008

I had some doubts about Woody Harrelson's ability to portray the legendary king of pornography but I'd say he basically nailed it here. As many biopics go, this one is also rife with exciting dramatic moments, never clearly establishing whether or not they are 100% accurate.

Still, the moments in the courtroom (and there are a good amount of them) paints Larry Flynt as almost as much a crusader for Libertarianism as a pornography entrepreneur. In that sense alone, this film and Woody Harrelson's performance in it can be very inspiring, especially to those who question whether or not freedom is being eroded today.

Or, if you prefer to view this merely as a biopic about one of the more controversial figures in America's last 30 years, this film will deliver on that front as well. Courtney Love does a decent job here, though it's harder to tell haw authentic her portrayal is, though I suspect the addict portion came naturally.

All in all, this is a well cast and well done biopic.