Lovelace (18)

More famous for being the bright eyed innocent in films such as ‘Mamma Mia!’ and this year’s ‘Les Miserables’, Amanda Seyfried sinks into a slightly grittier role playing real life adult star Linda Lovelace.

‘Lovelace’ tells the story of Linda Boreman (Amanda Seyfried), a sheltered suburban teen drawn in by local party animal Chuck Traynor (Peter Sarsgaard). The film follows Traynor’s abusive and controlling hold over Linda, forcing her to star in one of the most famous adult films of all time, ‘Deep Throat’, that puts the newly renamed Linda Lovelace in the public eye, and privately into a world of greed, abuse and fear.

Directors Epstein and Friedman seem unsure whether to make this a darkly comic, almost ‘Boogie Nights’ like cautionary tale or a gritty, troubling drama about the very real abuse Lovelace endured at the hands of her spouse.

Amanda Seyfried stars as Linda Lovelace (WENN)

The film has been accused of ‘skimming’ through certain realities, and while in the second half becomes something a lot more harrowing (aided by a particularly nasty performance from Sarsgaard), the narrative jumps around infuriatingly (such as towards the end, where we jump forward six years to where Lovelace, now married to someone else and a mother, brings out her book).

The real gold is to be found in two performances. Firstly in Sarsgaard, who is ugly and barbaric as Traynor but also charismatic enough to make you believe he could draw Linda in.

Second, of course, is Seyfried, in a quite brave performance that makes the most of her seemingly innate innocence and add a growing hardness as the story progresses. Sharon Stone and Robert Patrick are brief but great as her parents, while watch out for a baffling cameo from James Franco playing Hugh Hefner (but, really, just playing James Franco).

It could have been an Oscar contender, but turns out to be a solid if flawed drama where a wayward plot lets down a strong cast.

Lovelace is in cinemas now.

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