6.6 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
20-year-old Jessica leaves the small town life in Sweden for Los Angeles with the aim to become the worlds next big porn star but the road to her goal turns out to be bumpier than she imagined.
Starring: Sofia Kappel, Revika Anne Reustle, Evelyn Claire, Dana DeArmond, Kendra SpadeForeign | 100% |
Drama | 19% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Co-writer/director Ninja Thyberg originally shot “Pleasure” as a short film in 2013, helping to attract attention to her burgeoning career with a look at the technical ways and psychological damage of the adult film industry. Returning to the material, Thyberg looks to expand the experience for the lead character, depicted here as a young Swedish woman hoping to break into the business doing whatever she can to score gigs. Thyberg increases the run time and ups the graphic content, but there’s little dramatic expansion for “Pleasure,” which plays with a certain bluntness, but any emotionality is difficult to find. The troubling details of life in X-rated entertainment is what holds attention here, as Thyberg doesn’t have much in the way of characterization, presenting a simplistic take on the deadening arc of a pornography participant.
The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation for "Pleasure" primarily deals with the bright locations and interiors of Linnea's journey, which brings her to mansions and warehouses. Detail delivers throughout the viewing experience, exploring the weathered faces of porn performers and the thick application of makeup. Skin particulars are sharp, examining full body shots in graphic detail, highlighting fine hairs and bodily fluids. Costuming is fibrous, showcasing all sorts of fetish gear and lacy lingerie, along with more cottony casual wear. Colors are bright and appealing, with crisp primaries and more aggressive hues on outfits. Red lips pop, along with Kappel's blonde hair. Delineation is satisfactory. Mild blockiness and slight banding are detected at times.
The 5.1 DTS-HD MA gets a major low-end push with soundtrack selections, which provide a heavy throb during party sequences. The electropop offerings also supply a circular sense of listener engagement, with crisp synth. Dialogue exchanges are clear, supporting varied performance abilities and vocal volume. Atmospherics are inviting, with party sequences lively with crowd bustle, and room tone is appreciable as the adventure visits all sorts of locations.
"Pleasure" is fascinating when exploring the inner workings of adult shoots, which require thorough cavity cleansing and penile injections. Personalities are varied and casual encounters are somewhat amusing, as Thyberg reinforces the awkwardness of set life, which requires immediate, and occasionally profound, intimacy. Less successful is the dramatic content of the picture, which basically charts Linnea's growing inhumanity as she rises to fame, losing herself along the way. It's not a particularly original take for a feature that offers surprising detail when it comes to nudity and bodily fluids, and while Kappel bares everything in the part, she remains an aloof screen presence, with Linnea the least interesting part of the movie. While "Pleasure" is certainly eye-opening and real when it comes to positions of power in the adult film business, it could certainly use finer points about abuse and consent, and a more defined lead character.
2015
Adieu au langage
2014
2017
The Decalogue
1988
Le testament d'Orphée
1960
2011
2009
戀戀風塵 / Lian lian feng chen
1986
2013
L'Homme qui voulait vivre sa vie
2010
엽기적인 그녀 / Yeopgijeogin geunyeo
2001
Le cinque giornate / The Five Days of Milan
1973
2002
Pájaros de verano
2018
1981
1980
1979
I Love You, I Don't
1976
Una mujer fantástica
2017
La via della prostituzione
1978