The Look of Love
After 24 Hour Party People, Tristram Shandy: A Cock & Bull Story and The Trip, comedian Steve Coogan and director Michael Winterbottom team up again with this biopic of the larger-than-life Paul Raymond - the British adult entertainment mogul dubbed the 'King of Soho', who in 1992 was named the richest man in Britain.
Starting his career as a mind-reader in the 1950s, it doesn't take long for Paul Raymond to incorporate nude women into his act - though under UK law of the time, they aren't allowed to actually move onstage. Going on to open England's first strip club, adult theatres and publish several magazines over the subsequent decades, Raymond amasses a sizeable fortune, but embracing the opportunities his chosen career affords him (sex, drugs, more sex) costs him his marriage to Jean (Anna Friel). Undeterred, Raymond continues to build an adult entertainment empire, transforming Soho and falling for a vicar's daughter (Tamsin Egerton). But as he attains top spot on the UK's rich list and prepares to hand over his business affairs to daughter Debbie (Imogen Poots), events take a tragic turn.
- Director:
- Michael Winterbottom ('24 Hour Party People', 'The Trip', 'A Mighty Heart')
- Writer:
- Matt Greenhalgh
- Cast:
- Steve CooganImogen PootsAnna FrielMatt LucasStephen FryChris Addison
Reviews & comments
Variety
pressThough all the performances are very good, much of Look's entertainment value comes from an impressive tech package that captures the shifting fashions of swinger-favored pop-culture garishness over the pic's roughly 25-year period.
Time Out
pressThere's something a bit over-familiar here - in a solidly entertaining, made-for-telly, nothing-we-haven't-seen-before, way.
The Guardian
pressNicely conveys the world of semi-respectable Soho porn, sadder and tattier than its sleazier end, with its desperate champagne lunches and dreary afternoon hangovers.
Little White Lies
pressThe screen heaves with acres of toned flesh and much exquisite period detail. There are also some great one-liners, facial hair and merkin work that would have done Gods And Generals proud.
Hollywood Reporter
pressSteve Coogan's performance is consistently amusing, but the poignant dimensions the director appears to be seeking don't quite come together.
Empire Magazine
pressA solid, straightforward biopic about a fascinating individual and his destructive relationships, with strong performances and a healthy sense of naffness.
Variety
pressThough all the performances are very good, much of Look's entertainment value comes from an impressive tech package that captures the shifting fashions of swinger-favored pop-culture garishness over the pic's roughly 25-year period.
Time Out
pressThere's something a bit over-familiar here - in a solidly entertaining, made-for-telly, nothing-we-haven't-seen-before, way.
The Guardian
pressNicely conveys the world of semi-respectable Soho porn, sadder and tattier than its sleazier end, with its desperate champagne lunches and dreary afternoon hangovers.
Little White Lies
pressThe screen heaves with acres of toned flesh and much exquisite period detail. There are also some great one-liners, facial hair and merkin work that would have done Gods And Generals proud.
Hollywood Reporter
pressSteve Coogan's performance is consistently amusing, but the poignant dimensions the director appears to be seeking don't quite come together.
Empire Magazine
pressA solid, straightforward biopic about a fascinating individual and his destructive relationships, with strong performances and a healthy sense of naffness.
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