The Look of Love

Director: Michael Winterbottom

Stars: Steve Coogan, Imogen Poots, Tamsin Egerton, Chris Addison

Plot: The true story of the late Paul Raymond, a property and pornography mogul who was at one time the richest man in Britain.

Hugh's View:

The Look of Love marks the fourth big screen collaboration between director Michael Winterbottom and actor Steve Coogan. With films such as 24 Hour Party People and A Cock And Bull Story, they achieved critical acclaim, unfortunately similar praise is unlikely to follow them with this piece.

From the off it feels like there is a sense of discord between the subject and the style. As the piece introduces the character of Paul Raymond, we find him at a relatively late stage of his life and he clearly is not happy. The sorrow seems to be drawn from the subject of his daughter, the reasons for which are not made clear. We are then taken back to the start of his story and watch it unfold.

Given the clear indication of the story arc that is set to take place, the style in which it takes place seems curiously misjudged. The tragic overtones seem entirely at odds with the light, comic delivery of the action. When I refer to the 'style' of the film, I am not complaining about the visual style of the piece. On the contrary, of the things that the film does well, evoking the feel of the decades in which the film takes place is certainly done effectively. Similarly the Soho setting and the various bars, restaurants, theatres and nightclubs that house much of the action feel very believable. The problem is the same cannot be said for the performances.

This is not to criticise Steve Coogan as an actor or indeed his performance in general, it simply does not feel right for this film. I do not know how much, if any, of the script was improvised but it certainly feels that way and this is a problem. Coogan and Imogen Poots as his daughter Debbie, are meant to be the heart of this film as it is their relationship that drives a lot of the narrative yet their performances feel oddly disaffected which just makes it far harder to invest in what their characters are going through.

This style was effective in the previous collaborations between Coogan and Winterbottom as they were far more irreverent stories overall. In the case of this film though it is clear that there is an interesting and affecting story to be told the film isn't able to take you in to. You watch as the man's empire grows whilst his relationships wither around him, and occasionally you get a sense of pathos as the emotional damage he has wrought in his personal life shows through. Ultimately though this just feels jarring as the bulk of so many events in his life are otherwise breezed through, glossed over or simply left out.

Overall, whilst they have made an evocative film, they have not made an involving one and with this story, that is a problem. The world that Paul Raymond lived in, and to an extent created, was clearly not a particularly pleasant one, but that is not in itself an issue. The problem comes from the fact that as an audience you are not given a compelling reason to be in this world. Whilst it may look exciting from the outside, you will want to leave again pretty quickly.

Also Watch: Blow. This is a very different beast from The Look of Love in terms of the style but it is ultimately the kind of film I wished I was watching. The true life story of a man who built an illicit empire at the cost of the personal relationships around him, it is gripping, involving and worth of your emotional investment.