Director: Michael Winterbottom.
Starring: Steve Coogan, Imogen Poots, Anna Friel, Tamsin Egerton, Chris Addison.
Running Time: 101 minutes.
Certificate: 18.
Synopsis: A look at the life of Paul Raymond (Steve Coogan), a controversial entrepreneur who became Britain’s richest man.
Immersing itself in the era of sex and sophistication throughout the latter half of the twentieth century, Michael Winterbottom’s THE LOOK OF LOVE tells the story of theatre impresario Paul Raymond and his road to becoming the richest man in Britain, from his borderline tasteful gentlemen’s club antics to truly questionable debauchery in the alleys of Soho.
It is a stroke of genius to fill the impressive cast with a large number of comedians, with Steve Coogan’s lead joined by Chris Addison, Dara O’Briain, Stephen Fry, Matt Lucas, David Walliams and others to effectively represent Raymond’s Revue Bar as a flagship comedy venue. One particularly well thought-out moment is O’Briain’s portrayal as political satirist Alexei Sayle, who taunts Raymond for the risqué base of his empire.
Despite truly fantastic performances from both Tamsin Egerton and Anna Friel, this really isn’t a film for everyone, and moments let it down. Given its subject matter the film is gratuitous at best, but it can be very awkward watching Coogan share a bed with four naked women. It may be intentionally squirm-worthy viewing, but the film loses something because of it, and brilliant as he is, watching Alan Partridge make love is a peculiar evening for anyone. However, the impressionist plays the impresario in such a way that you cannot see anyone else in the role, with similar applause due for Chris Addison’s truly outstanding performance as drug dealing PR man, Tony Power.
The level of detail the film goes to in order to maintain accuracy is truly commendable, with French patisseries he visits with his daughter and bars where the striptease king makes his business deals to start the first men’s magazine, ‘Men Only’ still possible to visit. THE LOOK OF LOVE is frightfully accurate and at times a truly excellent watch due to its wealth of acting talent. With its progressively sombre subject matter as Raymond and friends lose themselves to the red lights of Soho, the choice of comedians and certain visual metaphors are incredibly poignant.
THE LOOK OF LOVE is released in UK cinemas on April 26th.
