Pornographe, Le (2001)

Director:

Bertrand Bonello

Writer:

Bertrand Bonello (scenario)

Release Date:

14 September 2001 (Italy)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Jacques Laurent made pornographic films in the 1970's and '80's, but had put that aside for 20 years...

Plot Keywords:

Erection | Male Rear Nudity | Father Son Relationship | Nudity | Fellatio

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Jean-Pierre Léaud	...	Jacques Laurent
Jérémie Renier	...	Joseph
Dominique Blanc	...	Jeanne
Catherine Mouchet	...	Olivia Rochet
Thibault de Montalembert	...	Richard
André Marcon	...	Louis
Alice Houri	...	Monika
Ovidie	...	Jenny
Laurent Lucas	...	Carles
Ségolène Savoff
Titof	...	Franck
Marcelo Teles
Violetta Sanchez
Nadia Nataf
Thomas Blanchard

Also Known As:

The Pornographer (International: English title)

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

France | Canada

Language:

French

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:MA (TV rating) (cut) | Australia:R | France:-16 | Germany:16 | Switzerland:18 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:18 (canton of Vaud) | UK:R18 | UK:18 (cut) | Ireland:(Banned) (cut UK version)

Company:

Haut et Court

Movie Connections:

Features A Comédia de Deus (1995)

Soundtrack:

Danny Wilde

Fakery of the very worst kind

It's truly riling when a film reeking of self importance and supposed deep meaning is so obviously a total fake. There may have once been French films in which great existential truths were told with a particularly somber French seriousness. This must have made a lasting impression on many a future director who dreamed of one day putting some of their own deep truths on screen. This led to too many pretentious French films which really have little if anything of importance to say, other than some empty platitudes in the guise of a intellectualism. These films tend to give you the feeling of inadequacy. While others around are imbibing the pearls of wisdom you may sit dumbfounded wondering what it's all about. Don't be fooled for a minute by this hollow pretense.

"Le Pornographe" is a prime example. It's a total bluff and in cinematic terms a complete mess. Jean-Pierre Leaud trades off his legendary younger days as Truffaut's alter ego. This may lend a certain weight to the character, but again it's a mere cloak for the nothingness beneath. The actors are constantly brooding, with a vacant expressionless stare. This is not meaningful as director Bonello would want us to believe, it's simple a façade. Jeremie Renier, one of the more promising young French actors is wasted in this vacuous exercise.

You might think a statement would be made about the nature of pornography, a subject begging out for a truly insightful cinematic investigation. But even that is skirted. What remains is an extremely irritating and decidedly boring film. Even the inclusion of two hard core (though distantly shot) sex scenes, both totally devoid of any eroticism, fails to inject some life into this abomination.

Fakery of the very worst kind.