Lovelace (2013), R, 2 stars

Amanda Seyfried as Linda Lovelace

In the 1970s, the era was a Golden Age for the porn industry. Hollywood and porn industries were two separated groups and two separated audiences. Each industry would get its own attention and marketing. The difference between back then and now is that Hollywood films can be viewed by anyone and that pornographic films are quite illegal to show publicly. Very few porn actors got attention but one person got recognizable attention from the start because of her figure and likability factor, but also she changed peoples' insights on the porn industry.

Linda Lovelace (Amanda Seyfried) moves in and lives with her parents (Robert Patrick and Sharon Stone) due to an unplanned pregnancy. Each parent are disappointed with what she does in her life. But, her mother is more demanding than her father. Her father and Linda share a good scene when he tries to console her.

Lovelace works as a dancer at a nightclub with her friend (Juno Temple). She is recognized by a restaurant owner, Chuck Traynor (Peter Sarsgaard), offers her a job and opportunity to work with him on a project. The relationship between Lovelace and Traynor dwindles on to become a relationship turning to a marriage quickly. But, nothing is as it seems.

Now, how does she get into the porn industry? Chuck decides to shoot a private homemade video with Lovelace and shows to Gerry Damiano (Hank Azaria), the director. Damiano is so impressed with her quality and sexuality that he decides to cast Lovelace in the next film called Deep Throat. The film turns out to be quite controversial but it centers Lovelace into a star and anybody will recognize her quality. Even, when she becomes popular, Chuck becomes abusive and hits Linda making the marriage out of control.

Peter Sarsgaard and Amanda Seyfried as Traynor and Lovelace.

The movie in the first half is turned into a tale of the glory and spirit of the 1970s. It is as if the directors,  Jeffrey Friedman and Robert Espein, are recreating Boogie Nights again and that movie was an organized and provoking movie about the porn industry. This movie, however, is disjointed and gaping with plot holes that no audience member would understand. A little spoiler is that how did Lovelace decide to  marry Damiano in its jump to 6 years? Why was her first husband, Chuck, abusive in the first place? Did she even know that she wanted to be in the business in the first place? The movie is really disorganized on its march to the Sexual Revolution, where Linda Lovelace is the head of later in the story. The event itself does not do any justice.

Amanda Seyfried is captivating and mesmerizing as Lovelace does what she can in the film but the story really just treats her badly with its uneven script. However, she gets the character just right. Peter Sarsgaard is not bad as a good guy in the beginning, but is over the top as he plays a one-dimensional pathetic person treating Lovelace with no respect. The performances from Hank Azaria, Robert Patrick, and especially Sharon Stone, are really worthy of its notice. Stone gives one of the best performances next to Seyfried in my opinion, although, I am really uneven when it comes to her movies. Even, James Franco makes an appearance as Hugh Hefner.

However, in the end, we're left with a dry narrative. It is like the directors have no taste on what Lovelace is really thinking about and no insight on what she is doing. There are just discombobulating plot holes that are missing in the gaps of the film and we felt that the writers and directors needed to go back to the typewriter and organize it.

**