It’s always fun to discover terrible films that well known actors starred in before their careers took off. But when lots of popular faces show up in a new terrible movie, it’s just confusing.
And that’s definitely the case with Elektra Luxx, Robert Guttierez’ new film about a former porn star who finds out she’s pregnant and then has a really weird day. Carla Gugino plays Elektra and also happens to be Guitterez’ girlfriend in real life. That makes this film one of the best cases of dating nepotism in awhile.
Consider this fact: Sebastian Gutierrez has a one line IMDB profile. And it says that Carla Gugino is his girlfriend.
For serious. Sebastian owes her a big one after this movie. Carla does a great job with Elektra,and there’s not much for her to work with. In fact, there is a randomly scheduled cabaret scene and a bath scene with the Virgin Mary. But Carla gamely sashays around in a blonde wig and makes any men and (some women) fall in love with her in the process. But she’s randomly surrounded by weird characters who appear and disappear at Guttierez’ whim in vignettes that are at best tangentially related.
In addition to cabaret scenes, there are lesbian kisses. And flashbacks to morality tales from past generations! Also, horrible dialogue! And a sex blogger with a bad accent who lives in his mom’s basement. (OK, that one might be realistic.)
If it weren’t for Carla’s presence in most frames, you might just think this was a student project gone awry. Well, except for the fact that there are so many other recognizable faces who fare much worse with the material.
Just when you’ve adjusted to Joseph Gordon Levitt’s terrible accent, and Adrianne Palicki from Friday Night Lights hacking her way through her role as a dumb blonde, or the inexplicable presence of Emmanuelle Chriqui from Entourage or Malin Akerman playing a checkout girl, Julianne Moore shows up as the Virgin Mary.
Praise Annette Bening. This movie is a mystery. And it’s a sequel! And there’s a third one in the works!
Gutierrez’ movies are inevitably compared to Pedro Almodavor‘s. They feature hot women getting themselves into wonky situations while wearing bright colors. But in the same way that Penelope Cruz loses some of her sex appeal in English films, Elektra Luxx is very much lost in translation.
Amazingly, the trailer makes it look like there’s some kind of clear plotline:
Do not be fooled! The movie does less to skewer porn films than it does to mimic them (minus the nudity and sex).
So consider for a second what it would be like to watch the plot of a porn film, without the porn part. Then decide if you want to see this movie.
