The People vs. Larry Flynt
Reviews
Filipe Manuel Neto
**Larry Flynt: the man, the monster, the hero and the pervert.** After seeing this film, I had the feeling that I should start this text with a warning: we should not mix our opinion about Larry Flynt with our assessment of the film. I loved the film, but I'm the first to admit that I don't feel any sympathy for the biographed person. Regardless of my opinion, sex sells, people are attracted to anything that has a forbidden aroma and, even today, the magazine “Hustler” is a success, with a television channel dedicated to adult content. The real Larry Flynt proved to be a provocative and materialistic man: he made a fortune off the exploitation of pornographic magazines and used all means to shock people, ridicule the conservatives who criticized him, and confront society and the judicial system. He demanded to be respected, but was incapable of respecting anyone who criticized him; He used the First Amendment to defend his right to publish what he wanted, forgetting that same document when he heard criticism of what he published. Dear reader, I don't have to be a lawyer to know that the same right that protected Mr. Flynt also protected everyone who expressed a negative opinion about him within the limits of urbanity. And if it is true that freedom of expression is crucial to the democratic system, it is also true that it is not an absolute value, it must be limited in a way that protects the rights and freedoms of other people. Unfortunately, the world is full of people like Larry Flynt, who demand the right to say whatever they want, but are unable to tolerate an opinion contrary to theirs. Of course, I also don't feel any sympathy for the professional activity of Mr. Flynt, a sexist man who profited from the objectification of sex and the female body, and I am disgusted by the business he created around that magazine. However, the film is fantastic. Milos Forman, who accustomed us to great works full of style and personality, surprises us once again with a film that does not shy away from provoking its audience, putting its finger on the wounds that hurt the most. The director made skillful use of cinematography, environments, filming locations, sets and costumes in order to construct a narrative that explores very well Flynt's controversial and contradictory nature. For several moments, I was afraid that the script would make the mistake of beatifying or cleaning up Flynt's image. However, I truly believe that Forman managed to avoid this and give the audience a neutral narrative, where he reveals the best and worst of this complex man. The film is reasonably discreet in its use of effects and the way it was edited, but it has a strong cast solidly based on the participation of Woody Harrelson. Looking at the finished film, I don't think I could imagine another actor better suited for the character in question. Harrelson gave himself body and soul to this project and produced one of the most consistent and powerful works of his film career, rightly deserving of an Oscar nomination. Courtney Love is perfect for the role she played, especially because the actress knew perfectly well the effects of substance abuse and was uninhibited enough to naturally face the nude scenes she was subjected to (something I tend to condemn, but I can understand, considering the film and the character) In turn, Edward Norton (at the time, experiencing a particularly radiant moment in his professional career) and Brett Harrelson make a frankly positive contribution. Richard Paul and James Cromwell also do a decent job, but they don't have the space or time to add much and seem somewhat wasted.
CinemaSerf
Aside from his gentle buffoonery in “Cheers”, this might be the defining role for Woody Harrelson as he depicts one of the pioneers of the American porn industry. Fighting a losing battle to keep his pole-dancing bar afloat, Larry Flynt (Harrelson) and his brother Jimmy (Brett Harrelson) need to come up with a plan, and a chance chat with a punter suggests that a subscription magazine might be a solution. “Hustler” is born. It’s a roaring success and together with the inspiration of his savvy girlfriend Althea (Courtney Love) they soon have all the money they need for booze, drugs, an hot tub and even a private jet! Thing is, though, the puritanical classes aren’t so happy with his lucrative activities and so he is promptly charged with peddling lewd materials. His attitude doesn’t impress the judge (a real life Larry Flynt) and so he’s sent to jail for twenty five years! Thanks to the efforts of his new-found lawyer “Isaacman” (Ed Norton) he is soon free and embarking on a lifelong crusade to expose the hypocrisy of the religious and political fervidity exemplified by the likes of Jerry Falwell (Richard Paul) and Charles Keating (James Cromwell). As this quest ebbs and flows he survives an assassination attempt that renders him wheelchair-bound before suffering an even greater tragedy en route to an ultimate battle in the US Supreme Court where the very principles of first amendment rights are up for grabs. It’s history, so there’s not much jeopardy, but the gritty and plausible writing alongside a performance from Harrelson that powerfully vacillates from the thoughtlessly obnoxious to the shrewd and the vulnerable creates an almost likeable impression. Love also delivers well here with her no holds barred effort and though Norton hasn’t loads to do, when he is on screen he brings a degree of much needed sanity, and loyalty, to the proceedings. It’s sleazy and rotten - but Flynt’s point that his business is open and honest about being like that rather than those who don’t practise what the preach is quite potently made here and though it can be a little sordid, it never comes across as gratuitously graphic - just a starkly plausible portrayal of life in an adult industry that nobody ever owns up to supporting.
Movie Recommendation
Keeping the Faith2000-04-14Best friends since they were kids, Rabbi Jacob Schram and Father Brian Finn are dynamic and popular young men living and working on New York's Upper West Side. When Anna Reilly, once their childhood friend and now grown into a beautiful corporate executive, suddenly returns to the city, she reenters Jake and Brian's lives and hearts with a vengeance. Sparks fly and an unusual and complicated love triangle ensues.More...
Scandal in Sorrento1955-12-22Back to his hometown, a former marshal finds his house occupied by a young woman working as a fishwife.More...
Afterimage2016-10-22In 1945, as Stalin sets his hands over Poland, famous painter Wladislaw Strzeminski refuses to compromise on his art with the doctrines of social realism. Persecuted, expelled from his chair at the University, he's eventually erased from the museums' walls. With the help of some of his students, he starts fighting against the Party and becomes the symbol of an artistic resistance against intellectual tyranny.More...
Les Parasites1999-01-20Oulage has it all planned: New Year's eve, at the stroke of midnight, he'll finally kiss Brigitte, the girl he's madly in love with. That'll be the moment, because Brigitte is having a costume party. Oulage has it all planned—except for the fact that Brigitte has also invited a gang of truly parasitical friends: an old girl friend who never leaves Brigitte's side, a manic-depressive police officer, a paranoid psychopath, a cannabis-addict suffering withdrawal pains, a stunning Cuban woman on the prowl for immigration papers, and many others who do everything to ruin Oulage's life.More...
Big Stone Gap2014-10-09A story centered around a transitional point in the life of Ave Maria Mulligan, the heart of her community in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia.More...
Something Real and Good2013-03-05A young man and woman meet by chance in an airport while waiting for a delayed flight. When the plane is rerouted, they decide to make the best of it, and over the course of one night, realize that sometimes it takes a detour to make a connection. Written by Rebecca GreenMore...
Snu2019-03-06The story about the romance of Snu Abecassis and the former Portuguese prime minister Sá Carneiro.More...
One Too Many2005-04-08After his wife leaves him, Joaquín brings his mother-in-law back home to look after him and his son.More...
Perez.2014-10-02Demetrio Perez is a tough prosecutor torn between the corruption inherent in his job and the desire to do right by his family. But when opportunity presents itself and his daughter Thea falls in love with a Mafioso’s son, Perez has to cut through the morality of his law-abiding roots and become as dirty as the dangerous criminals he represents.More...
Neapolitan Turk1953-09-16Naples/Sorrento, mid 20s. A couple of small thieves conceive a scam whereby one of them dresses up as a eunuch Turk to care for the women of the family of a wealthy man. They end up messing everything up, with lots of gags and funny events in the meantime.More...
Wyatt Earp1994-06-24From Wichita to Dodge City, to the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Wyatt Earp is taught that nothing matters more than family and the law. Joined by his brothers and Doc Holliday, Earp wages war on the dreaded Clanton and McLaury gangs.More...
Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love1997-02-28Tara and Maya are two inseparable friends in India. Their tastes, habits, and hobbies are the same. Years later, the two have matured, but have maintained their friendship. Tara gets married to the local prince, Raj Singh, who soon succeeds the throne as the sole heir. After the marriage, Raj gets bored of Tara and starts seeking another female to satisfy his sexual needs. He notices Maya and is instantly attracted to her. He has her included as one of his courtesans, and is intimate with her. Watch what happens when Tara finds out and the extent she will go to keep her marriage intact.More...
2 or 3 Things I Know About Her1967-03-17As the city of Paris and the French people grow in consumer culture, a housewife living in a high-rise apartment with her husband and two children takes to prostitution to help pay the bills.More...
Death to Smoochy2002-03-29Tells the story of Rainbow Randolph, the corrupt, costumed star of a popular children's TV show, who is fired over a bribery scandal and replaced by squeaky-clean Smoochy, a puffy fuchsia rhinoceros. As Smoochy catapults to fame - scoring hit ratings and the affections of a network executive - Randolph makes the unsuspecting rhino the target of his numerous outrageous attempts to exact revenge and reclaim his status as America's sweetheart.More...
Leaving Las Vegas1995-10-27Ben Sanderson, an alcoholic Hollywood screenwriter who lost everything because of his drinking, arrives in Las Vegas to drink himself to death. There, he meets and forms an uneasy friendship and non-interference pact with prostitute Sera.More...
Jimmy's Hall2014-05-30Jimmy Gralton returns from New York and reopens his beloved community hall, only to meet opposition from the local parish.More...
A Scanner Darkly2006-07-07An undercover cop in a not-too-distant future becomes involved with a dangerous new drug and begins to lose his own identity as a result.More...
Basquiat1996-08-09The brief life of Jean Michel Basquiat, a world renowned New York street artist struggling with fame, drugs and his identity.More...
Tess1979-10-06A strong-willed peasant girl is sent by her father to the estate of some local aristocrats to capitalize on a rumor that their families are from the same line, but is left traumatised from her experiences.More...
EDtv1999-03-26Video store clerk Ed agrees to have his life filmed by a camera crew for a tv network.More...
Similar Movies
Dead Man Walking
1995-12-29A death row inmate turns for spiritual guidance to a local nun in the days leading up to his scheduled execution for the murders of a young couple.Murder Most Foul
1964-03-01A murderer is brought to court and only Miss Marple is unconvinced of his innocence. Once again she begins her own investigation.Rashomon
1950-08-26Four people recount different versions of the story of a man's murder and the rape of his wife.Dogville
2003-05-21When beautiful young Grace arrives in the isolated township of Dogville, the small community agrees to hide her from a gang of ruthless gangsters, and, in return, Grace agrees to do odd jobs for the townspeople.The Lives of Others
2006-03-23In 1983 East Berlin, dedicated Stasi officer Gerd Wiesler begins spying on a famous playwright and his actress-lover Christa-Maria. Wiesler becomes unexpectedly sympathetic to the couple, and faces conflicting loyalties when his superior takes a liking to Christa-Maria.The Hours
2002-12-27The story of three women searching for more potent, meaningful lives. Each is alive at a different time and place, all are linked by their yearnings and their fears. Their stories intertwine, and finally come together in a surprising, transcendent moment of shared recognition.To Kill a Mockingbird...
1962-12-20Scout Finch, 6, and her older brother Jem live in sleepy Maycomb, Alabama, spending much of their time with their friend Dill and spying on their reclusive and mysterious neighbor, Boo Radley. When Atticus, their widowed father and a respected lawyer, defends a black man named Tom Robinson against fabricated rape charges, the trial and tangent events expose the children to evils of racism and stereotyping.Wild Things
1998-03-20When teen-socialite Kelly Van Ryan and troubled bad girl Suzie Toller accuse guidance counselor Sam Lombardo of rape, he's suspended by the school, rejected by the town, and fighting to get his life back. One cop suspects conspiracy, but nothing is what it seems...Lost Highway
1997-01-15A tormented jazz musician finds himself lost in an enigmatic story involving murder, surveillance, gangsters, doppelgängers, and an impossible transformation inside a prison cell.Antonia's Line
1995-09-21After World War II, Antonia and her daughter, Danielle, go back to their Dutch hometown, where Antonia's late mother has bestowed a small farm upon her. There, Antonia settles down and joins a tightly-knit but unusual community. Those around her include quirky friend Crooked Finger, would-be suitor Bas and, eventually for Antonia, a granddaughter and great-granddaughter who help create a strong family of empowered women.A Few Good Men
1992-12-11When cocky military lawyer Lt. Daniel Kaffee and his co-counsel, Lt. Cmdr. JoAnne Galloway, are assigned to a murder case, they uncover a hazing ritual that could implicate high-ranking officials such as shady Col. Nathan Jessep.Crash
1996-07-17After getting into a serious car accident, a TV director discovers an underground sub-culture of scarred, omnisexual car-crash victims, and he begins to use car accidents and the raw sexual energy they produce to try to rejuvenate his sex life with his wife.City Lights
1931-02-06A tramp falls in love with a beautiful blind flower girl. His on-and-off friendship with a wealthy man allows him to be the girl's benefactor and suitor.Sommersby
1993-02-05Set in the South just after the US Civil War, Laurel Sommersby is just managing to work the farm without her husband, believed killed in battle. By all accounts, Jack Sommersby was not a pleasant man, thus when he suddenly returns, Laurel has mixed emotions. It appears that Jack has changed a great deal, leading some people to believe that this is not actually Jack but an imposter. Laurel herself is unsure, but willing to take the man into her home, and perhaps later into her heart.Breathless
1983-05-13Jesse, a small-time criminal, high-tails it to Los Angeles to rendezvous with a French exchange student. Stealing a car and accidentally killing a highway patrolman, he becomes the most wanted fugitive in L.A.Princesses
2005-09-02Caye is a young prostitute whose family is unaware of her profession. She meets her striking Dominican neighbour Zulema, an illegal immigrant, after she finds her in the bathroom, badly beaten up. They strike up a close friendship unbeknownst to Caye's xenophobic co-workers.Eight Miles High
2007-02-01Achim Bornhak's movie focuses on the restless life of Uschi Obermaier, the icon of the 1968 movement in Germany and groupie. At the age of 16, Uschi is bored by her job in a photo lab, but soon becomes the "it girl" of Munich's club scene. When she gets to know Rainer Langhans, they move to Berlin and live in "Kommune 1", the first politically-motivated commune in Germany. While the other occupants claim she isn't political enough, Uschi just wants to have fun, works as fashion model and leads international music stars in temptation.Lonely Hearts
2006-04-30In the late 1940s, a murderous couple known as the 'The Lonely Hearts Killers' kills close to a dozen people. Two detectives try to nab the duo who find their targets via the personals in the paper.Frida
2002-08-29A biography of artist Frida Kahlo, who channeled the pain of a crippling injury and her tempestuous marriage into her work.Shortbus
2006-10-04In post-9/11 New York City, an eclectic group of citizens find their lives entangled, personally, romantically, and sexually, at Shortbus, an underground Brooklyn salon infamous for its blend of art, music, politics, and carnality.