Visitors Review

Alexandra Karla (2012-05-25 15:06)

?

I don't get this movie. It's like ..nothing. Made my day worse. Some of the actors were definitely not that disappointing but still.. wtf?

(2012-05-24 23:53)

truly horrible...

This review is from: Elektra Luxx [HD] (Amazon Instant Video) I am by no means a movie critic and I usually like the cheesy, low-budget movies (at least of particular genres), but this movie is certainly in the bottom 10% of movies I have ever seen. Don't waste your time. No good "views" of anyone, the acting was horrible and overall had no redeeming qualities!

MBunge (2012-05-24 09:40)

Second verse, as aggravating as the first.

A sequel to Women in Trouble, this movie has just as much talk and evenless action. If you loved the first film and thought Carla Gugino wasthe best thing in it, you will revel in this motion picture. If it woreyou out with non-stop blather and thought Gugino was just one amongmany other members of the cast, well…you're probably not going to bewatching Elektra Luxx in the first place. If you're unfamiliar witheither movie, this is what you need to know.Aside from a couple of butt shots, there is no real nudity in ElektraLuxx. There is a lot of dialog, and I mean A LOT, but the characters dovery little. This is more like a radio drama than a film or even astage play. Some of the dialog is quite clever and entertaining. Someof it isn't nearly as clever or entertaining as writer/directorSebastain Gutierrez believes. The sheer tonnage of words spoken herewithout accompanying plot will likely wear on you over time, somethingwhich only enhances the lackluster ending of this thing. There's adream sequence which demonstrates that Gugino should avoid any rolesthat require singing and dancing and that Gutierrez has no future inmusic videos. And this movie continues to employ Gutierrez' graphic butrather sanitized presentation of sexual discussion. These characterssay a lot of supposedly provocative things. With the juiceless way theysay them, however, they might as well be talking about the weather orcomparing lawn fertilizer.This story is again about the several intersecting lives, though fewerin number and importance than Women in Trouble. Primarily, it's aboutex-porn star Elektra Luxx (Carla Gugino). She's pregnant with her dead,rock star boyfriend's baby and teaching a class on "How to act like aporn star in bed" at the local community center. She gets caught up inthe personal drama of Cora (Marly Shelton), the stewardess who washaving sex with Luxx' boyfriend on a plane when he died. There's also aprivate eye (Timothy Olyphant), a best selling author (KathleenQuinlan) and a naked, jealous neighbor (Vincent Kartheiser) who orbitaround Luxx. There are also more disconnected plot lines about a Latinosex blogger (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and about two sex workers from thefirst movie (Adrianne Palicki and Emmanuelle Chriqui) taking a vacationtogether and resolving the relationship cliffhanger Gutierrez left themat in Women in Trouble.Look, the acting here is enjoyable and the direction, while notterribly involving, is perfectly acceptable. The problem is that thisfilm goes on and on and on with the same thing over and over and over.If you took the best scenes here and inserted them into a story wherestuff actually happens in between, Elektra Luxx would have been prettygood. As it is, watching this is like taking a long car ride withsomeone who won't stop talking. No matter how intelligent andinteresting they are at the beginning, after a certain point you justwant them to shut the hell up.This is in no way a poorly made film, though the plot is prettysketchy. It is a movie that completely reasonable people will findintolerable. Only those who were captivated by Gugino in Women inTrouble should bother with it.

threecrows (2012-05-23 10:44)

Incredibly Sweet!

Wow. What a sweet movie. This is a really original comedy that takes alook at the kinds of people (a porn star, a sex blogger, a call girl)that other movies might look down upon or simply make fun of andinstead it crafts a very surprising manifesto for becoming betterpeople. More like episodes than a proper narrative, the movie centerson Carla Gugino (Karen Sisco herself) as she tries to make a living inthe straight world after leaving her porn past behind. It should benoted that there is nothing pornographic in the movie, nor is it asatire on the porn industry itself, it's more... well, it's hard toexplain. It's more a character study of a confident but confusedbeautiful woman that you root for despite her job. Joseph Gordon Levittis very funny as the blogger obsessed with her and Emmanuelle Chriquiis luminous as the all business call girl who finds out her best friend(Wonder Woman herself) wants to be more than friends. This is one ofthose movies that grow by word of mouth and it is a very pleasantsurprise. Great, GREAT funny lines in it. Can't wait to see the thirdone.

(2012-05-23 05:36)

Too-quirky Pedro Almodovar wannabe

Some of the most beautiful and talented actresses in Hollywood are featured herein, the acting is good, but the screenplay drags it down. "EL" can't seem to settle on a tone. It tries to be a zany comedy (it's more amusing than funny), a drama, a satire (of porn movies?), a sexy romance,...it juggles all these in a somewhat unengaging, clumsy manner. There are (too) many characters and many silly situations (events that would only happen in porn movies or cheesy sitcoms) that I guess are supposed to be seen as "quirky." Much of the dialogue is stilted and lame, as in, real-people-don't-talk-this-way lame. Carla Cugino's character does a "Cabaret"-like song-and-dance bit that comes out of nowhere and while it's kinda cute-sexy, Carla G doesn't really sing well and it adds nothing to the movie overall. It's worth seeing if you're a Gugino fan, but this is a mediocre movie, basically Pedro Almodovar Lite (and while I like some of his films, I think he's a tad overrated). Watch an old Woody Allen movie instead ("Love and Death," "Play It Again, Sam").

Tony Heck (2012-05-22 16:41)

A very moving and somewhat funny movie about a porn star trying to change her life. Not what I expected its better. I say B+

"What kind of person are you?" Retiring pregnant porn star Elektra Luxx(Gugino) fills her days by teaching a sexology class. After beingapproached by a stranger with a tie to her dead ex-boyfriend her daystarts to get weird. If you have seen the previews to this then youthink you know what the movie is about. You would be wrong. From what Isaw I expected a very funny comedy. While this movie does have it'sfunny moments, at its core it actually a very moving story. A woman whois trying to figure out where her life is is the one everyone seems togo to for advice, help or anything she can provide. Being that themovie is about a porn star there are a few pretty raunchy scenes anddialog, but no where near what you would have expected. There is a shota a male and female butt and that is the extent of the nudity. Theacting and characters are very entertaining that it makes you want towatch and see everyone get what they want. This is not at all what Iexpected, it was better. Overall a very touching, and somewhat funnystory about finding out and being comfortable with who you are. I giveit a B+.Would I watch it again? - I think I actually would.*Also try - Finding Bliss

rocketship-2 (2012-05-22 17:24)

Weird, Wonderful, Sexy Elektra

This movie, several steps up from "Women In Trouble" in terms ofconsistency, further evolves the weird, wonderful and sexy world of thetitle character. Carla Gugino is so winning as this confused butsometimes wise former lady of porn that it makes you wonder what movieswould be like if she got more leading parts. Returning from the firstone are the awesome duo of Adrienne Palicki and Emmanuelle Chriqui, whoare maybe the most moving part of the story. Joseph Gordon Levitt ishilarious in it too and Malin Akerman, who I wasn't all that keen onfrom "Watchmen", actually proves she's a very good actress.Sex-positive and lesbian-positive without being preachy or sappy, thisis a smart, weird comedy with a ton of personality and GREAT DIALOGUE.

Gordon-11 (2012-05-22 00:10)

Not as good as it could be

This film is about the life of a porn star who quits the entertainmentindustry because she got pregnant."Elektra Luxx" is not really a comedy, but a quirky semi-serious drama.There are three vaguely connected subplots, one about the life ofElektra Luxx, another about a blogger and the third about two femalefriends of Elektra. While the main subplot of Elektra's life isinteresting, the latter two subplots seem to add little to the mainstory. They seem disconnected and seem to function as fillers. Or, theyare just reasons to put some soft porn in.I find "Elektra Luxx" not so engaging or captivating as it potentiallycould be. What surprises me the most is the number of big names in thefilm, such as Joseph Gordon Levitt, Malin Akerman and even a long cameoby Julianne Moore.

jotix100 (2012-05-21 13:15)

Bert Rodriguez's blog

An amateur blogger, Bert Rodriguez, introduces us to famous porn starElektra Luxx, now retired from the sensational days of her stardom. Herfilms are described in vivid details from the comforts of Rodriguez'sliving room where he is recording his piece about the luminous starwhile one hears in the background his mother's voice asking him to takeout the trash.Elektra, who finds herself pregnant from a boyfriend who died on thelavatory of a jetliner, has reinvented herself into a teacher forrepressed women who has no clue as how to behave in bed. The singer hasleft a lot of songs which even Elektra did not know about. Elektra issurprised by one of her students, that turns out to be a professionalwriter who wants to write her memoirs, a sort of guide into thepleasures of sex.There are about three narratives running into the plot, all of whichcome together toward the end. This is not a film for everyone.Sebastian Gutierrez expanded his previous "Women in Trouble" with anemphasis on the character of Elektra. The comedy is witty as it tacklesits subject with an eye toward fun. Mr. Gutierrez even includes a scenewhere the Virgin Mary has a tete-a-tete with Elektra while she ishaving a bath!Carla Gugino makes the most of her character; she really is an optimistin a field where one could not think it possible. The excellent JosephGordon-Levitt is perhaps the director's alter ego, Bert Rodriguez, ayoung man in awe of the pleasures he has received from watching all ofMs. Luxx's films. Most of the cast has worked with the director before.Among the supporting casts there are good performances by MarleyShelton, Emmanuelle Chiriki, Adrienne Palicki, Timothy Olyphant,Kathleen Quinlan, Malin Ackerman, and a great cameo by Julianne Mooreas the Virgin Mary.Mr. Gutierrez keeps things moving at a quick pace, which benefits theenjoyment of the film. The creator of "Elektra Luxx" shows anirreverent streak for the material he wrote and directed.

(2012-05-20 22:53)

Elektra Luxx

This review is from: Elektra Luxx (DVD) This is a really good movie it not a chick flick but a good comedy about a porn star trying to make it outside of porn.

slake09 (2012-05-19 14:50)

Not a comedy, not a drama, not a good movie

Elektra Luxx tells the story of a porn star's personal life, but failsas both a comedy and a drama. You can see the potential for laughs orserious drama, but the movie never gets there. There isn't much in theway of nudity, so the potential for exploitation is also missed.The jokes fall flat, and the characters aren't particularly likable.The plot itself is fragmented, jumping all over the place without muchexposition. The first few reviews here are glowingly positive, whichmakes me think the reviewers are somehow connected to the film. Don'tbe fooled by the name actors in the cast: this movie is a turkey.If you're in the market for a drama about a porn star's personal life,you would be better served checking out The Girlfriend Experience.The acting in Elektra Luxx was OK, nothing great, but not particularlybad either. It's mostly the script and direction that are lacking. Thejokes probably sounded a lot better on paper than they do when theactors speak them; the plot probably looked better on the storyboardthan it does on film.You won't laugh, you won't be thrilled, you won't marvel at the drama.You will just wish you had watched something else.

fung0 (2012-05-19 03:01)

Masterpiece

I saw Women in Trouble with no expectations and was blown away. I sawElektra Luxx with high expectations and was not disappointed. There'ssimply no way to describe either film, except to say they're bothfunny, touching, thought-provoking, surprising, and, of course,extremely sexy.I particularly love Gutierrez' knack for creating conversations thatnever go where you'd expect, with participants talking at crosspurposes, or simply flying off on wild tangents. (What do you get for$10? A yogurt... and a pony!) But it's always done without compromisingthe characters; always organic, never contrived.I also got a huge charge out of the opening credits, which do the 1960spop-art thing better than 9 out of 10 recent James Bond films. And I'mtotally enraptured by Gutierrez' use of Robyn Hitchcock for music.Women in Trouble made me a lifelong Hitchcock fan, and it's great tohear Elektra Luxx again making use of his talents.The story in this newer film is perhaps a little less focused than inthe first one, but it's not a big deal. When every moment of thejourney is a delight, who cares where you end up?

Matthew Stechel (2012-05-17 14:26)

Incredibly Quick Dialog And Wonderful Dialog Gives This Sequel A Real Kick

Amazingly Strong Semi Sequel to 2009's Women In Trouble,improving onthat one with its dialog alone. Elektra Luxx starts out strong rightout of the gate plunging first into a wonderfully noirish plotproviding so much fantastic dialog that it becomes a pleasure to listento. The dialog IS the reason to seek this one out however you canbecause it is that good. There are so many fantastic one liners, andconversational two handers throughout. There are exchanges of dialogflying at you in all directions throughout that you end up just tryingto absorb everything that was just said just so you can process itall-- reminding me a bit of "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" in that sense. Thisdialog not only provides the movie its spark--it made me want to hangaround the theater for the 40 odd minutes after the end creditsfinished rolling to catch the next showing. I can only think of ahandful of films that I've seen in theaters that have made me want todo that but i just had to hear this movie again pronto. Movie has threelargely separate plot lines, but the characters do all know each otheras they were all featured in the director's previous film "Women InTrouble." The main plot line involves now pregnant ex porn star ElektraLuxx--played by the dependably wry and endearing Carla Gugino-- whofinds herself thrown into a plot line involving unpublished songswritten about her by her dead lover from "Women In Trouble" as theyoung woman who was with him (when he died--and blames herself by theway) promises to give her those very songs which Luxx would like mostlyfor sentimental reasons in exchange for the tiny little favor in whichLuxx seduces her fiancée. Lets just leave it at that because i can'treally say what happens next but i will say that the film's not reallyplot driven as much as it is character driven, which would normally bea turn-off but when the characters are spouting as terrific dialog asthey are here, there's a lot of pleasure to be had just from sittingback and listening to them talk their talk.Elektra's plot line ends up alternating screen time with two other plotlines--one involving Joseph Gordon Levitt as Luxx's ultimate fan boyblogger trying to get a hold on his own life post Luxx's career, andone involving Electra's ex-porn star colleague also trying to get ahold on her own love life post Luxx's career. I should put in a strongword for former Friday Night Lights' actress Adrianne Palicki here whoreally holds the screen with star power as the big-hearted and adorablydim ex porn star herself. Palicki not only holds her own in her plotline but she delivers the lines with such perfect delivery and spot ontiming that i do believe she could be not just a big movie star but areally first rate comedic actress as well. (we really need more ofthose right now too, way more then romantic leads or dramaticactresses.) Gordon Levitt doesn't fare quite as well here--he's finebut his character doesn't really have as much to do plot-wise--andhonestly isn't as fully developed as the other two female charactersare. (is he just an obsessive pervert stuck in his life or is he thisdignified romantic? the two traits don't really gel.) The two otherplot lines never exactly intersect with Elektra's (altho they do bothknow Elektra) but they are all thematically related. They're all tryingto cope with and are scared of the changes in their lives to put itbroadly. The film is really at heart more of an old fashioned melodramathen anything else--the end credits list a special thank you to PedroAlmodovar and that's exactly who's influence can be felt in just aboutevery single thing i can think of here. (the wistfulness of itscharacters, its comedic dialog, its intimate heart to heart scenes, itscandy color decor, the film's use of music, or even in the film'scracker jack pacing.) Almodovar is such a singular combination that noone's ever really tried to copy him before because it would be just toodifficult to balance without really careful handling butwriter/director Sebastian Gutierrez does such a terrific job balancingeverything here that i sincerely look forward to seeing him spin othertales involving other sets of quirky yet sentimental and wisecharacters in the future. Say something not set in the porn world forexample. If Gutierrez keeps up this level of production--he willhopefully be able to sustain a long term career doing these kinds ofmovies. Hell at the very least he should be able to provide regularwork for muse Carla Gugino who in addition to delivering a knockoutperformance here will make you care for whether or not she'll emergefrom her situation OK. She very very much deserves more big screenexposure other than the 3 movies Mr. Gutierrez together now countingwomen in trouble, and 1999's Judas Kiss-(itself a neat and twisty neonoir) has ably provided for her.Do yourself a favor--if you like movies with fast dialog that you loveto listen to check this one out--even if you're put off by the subjectmatter of an ex porn star restarting her life--you will find someterrific crackerjack dialog here. I can't imagine this one not having avery healthy shelf life on cable and DVD.I also have the high hope thatafter the third one comes out a CD of Robyn Hitchcock's music from all3 of the films will be made available because the three songs from himthat get played are all very catchy. There's Some Great Work Here--WellWorth Checking Out.

(2012-05-17 12:10)

Bad Bad Black Sheep Have You Any Acting Ability?

Blahhhhhh what a crummy movie. Porn star get pregnant and retires. Yeah, that's what happens. So who's gonna watch this? Guys looking to see nudity, right? This is no chick flick, no way - it doesn't go that way. It tries to be something but it's nothing in the end. Dang it not getting to see her get pregnant - hey that would be sweet, it would have worked. No it's talk talk talk talk. No nakedness, or very little. Nothing that is all that enjoyable either. Yeah, so if you want to see that Entourage Californication chick naked, it isn't here - Carla Gugino. Go see Jaded, there she is - you'll be happy, so will mr. (Jaded). Nothing but shrinkage over here. Darn, this stinker looks like they took a bunch of porn stars and asked them to be in a non porn movie - this is far from a porno, but is billed like a porno. Except, wait a minute, these aren't porn stars, they're real actors. I mean even Julianna Moore (the hotest of the hot that should have taken off her clothes, oh would I like that) shows up and reads her lines. No, what the heck, everybody is reading their lines. Yeah, they talk about sexy stuff - Elektra Luxx leads a meeting group to talk about how to better please your man and talks kind of dirty in a school teacher way. That started out cool. But darn it, nothing that got my buddy excited in this thing. She just kept going, shrinkage, shrinkage - all the wrong way. Even when there was a possible hard moment, nope it was ruined with some rotten shrinkage move. What the heck was the director thinking with this bomb? It plays like a joke, but it isn't. I know, this guy had a big old hit with Nervous Breakdown women - that was decent. This just sucks. I hated Elektra's stinky blonde wig by the time this was over. I really wanted to just grab it and pull it off her head, well then pull it someplace else. Nope, bad movie. Well unless you like being talked to. But even that got interrupted with garbage. No, even if you are into that kind of thing, you won't like this. Nothing good here. Nakedness would have rescued it.

Terry Roehrig II (2012-05-15 21:17)

Expected SO much more and got even LESS than I deserved.

Adult film star finds out she's pregnant? Imagine all of the comedicsituations, hilarious dialog and just how much havoc this could causeon set and with future co-stars! Now, forget about it. All of it. Thisisn't what you're thinking about. At all. This is more of a deep lookat life dramedy. You wouldn't think so from the previews and the posterand the synopsis.... but it is. They tricked us. Boy, did they evertrick us.Apparently, this is a sequel. I had no idea going in to watch thismovie (can you believe it -- there was something I didn't know). Thefirst film was called Women in Trouble -- written and directed by thesame guy and had a lot of the same cast, I guess. Why they would wantto come back for a sequel is beyond me (the guy is blackmailing them orsomething?) -- this movie was a chore to sit through. Sure, it had afew chuckles.... but nothing more.The first thing that annoyed me straight away was the acting.... I'veseen Marley Shelton and Carla Gugino in other stuff and they were fine.Not here, though. It took all of my willpower to not shut this film offafter the bar scene.... it was terrible, no doubt about it. Forceddialog, aside.... the lighting was so horrible I felt as if it was shoton somebody's Insta-Matic they got for Christmas.Another thing that threw me off was the fact that I was watching threeseparate movies: Elektra Luxx (Gugino) and her day after learning she'spregnant, Bert Rodriguez (Gordon-Levitt) and his porn blog aboutElektra in his mom's basement and Holly (Palicki) and Bambi (Chriqui)and their Mexican vacation tryst. The movie was so all over the mapit's ridiculous. Between weird cut-scenes (Elektra singing, Hollygetting a lap dance, etc), uneven stories and basically no story tospeak of whatsoever, this movie isn't at all what it's advertised tobe. More reviews at www.soveryterry.com Final Grade: D+

Alex Frey (2012-05-15 10:24)

A festival of random dialogs

I always promised myself never to give a 1 star rating on a moviereview because there is always a part where you can give credit for..boy I was horribly wrong about that. I wasn't sure if i should checkthe "contains spoilers" boy or not, fact is there is nothing to spoilbecause nothing is making sense or is connected to something what REALwriters would call a storyline.Now after this introduction you might expect that they packed the moviewith a ton of nude scenes or flat jokes like in American Pie part 23,unfortunately there wasn't even that.It is a pointless mini journey of a former porn actress stumbling fromone random conversation into another, i was sitting put and thought inthe end it they take all strings together and tie a knot. Oh boy i waswrong again. Apparently or better unfortunately this was a sequel, theymust have sent Tony Soprano holding a gun at the producers head to make2 movies out of nothing. The worst part is how the movie was advertisedas a comedy when it turns out to be a wannabe drama, in fact it isneither of that and it is crowned with horrible acting. It has at least5 actors i really enjoyed before, I assume they woke up next to a horsehead and the contract for this "movie" I wish i could sue people forstealing my time, but after learning that the movie grossed only 10,000USD this is a hopeless case since the makers of this "movie" must beflat broke now.The only reason why i got the Blu-Ray was some of the reviews herewhich had 9 and 8 stars and the "movie" was called brilliant. Must be aplug review by the executives who released this "movie" or peoplewatching the movie one handed and when they didn't find any nudity theythought it was intelligent or something like that, don't blame them theblood was elsewhere.Hands down the worst "movie" I have ever seen in my life and I neverthought that could be possible after seeing Titanic2.Do not get fooled by the trailers or make up your own ideas based onthe suggested storyline, it is not what it pretends to be.

lewiskendell (2012-05-14 03:51)

The "women in trouble" return.

Elektra Luxx is the slightly improved sequel to Women in Trouble. Ifyou enjoyed that movie at all, then this one will also probably beworth your time. A lot of the failed attempts at humor where left out this time around,and the story focus also lies more heavily on the characters of Elektra(Carla Gugino), Holly Rocket (Adrianne Palicki), Bambi (EmmanuelleChriqui), and Bert (Joseph Gordon-Levitt). The story lines of thosecharacters in the first movie are continued right where they left off,and they're also joined by a few new faces like Timothy Olyphant, MalinAkerman and Lucy Punch. Elektra Luxx is also a much tamer movie than Women in Trouble, despitethe fact that most of its characters are still porn stars. Besides afew curse words, this could have been a PG-13 film. As I said before, check this out if you're interested in the continuedlives of the characters from Women in Trouble (the doors are left wideopen at the end of this movie for a third entry in the series).Otherwise, there's not a whole lot of reasons to go out of your way tosee this. 

iumma (2012-05-13 09:59)

Like a Skinimax flick without the payoff

I had the unfortunate displeasure of viewing this movie tonight, and myshock and awe at how bad it is cannot really be put into words. I gotpulled in by the cover, shame on me. Gugino is a feast for the eyes forsure, and seeing Chriqui make out with another chick was a nicesurprise, but those two niceities cant save this deplorable piece oftrash. As with an earlier reviewer, I rarely give a movie one star, asI can usually find SOMETHING redeeming about the experience: that wasnot the case here. It gives off the stink of one of those late nightsoft-core skin flicks, but without the skin! What the hell wasGordon-Levitt thinking reprising this role? He is lucky he didn't screwup his chances landing the role in Inception. I wasn't even aware thiswas a sequel until I read some of the other reviews. Anyway, there isnothing else to say, this is pure garbage. I should receive some typeof reward for making it all the way through...

(2012-05-12 21:21)

4.5 Stars

This review is from: Elektra Luxx (DVD) A quirky little movie about a former porn star, Carla, trying to live a normal life while teaching a class at the learning annex. Her day takes a weird twist. Overall, I really enjoyed this flick. Couple of spots where the flow died. It got resuscitated each time. Supporting cast was delight. How their paths cross. Who's doing what & why. If it hadn't died those 2 spots, it would have been 5 stars.I hate giving the synopsis of the movie when you can find it everywhere. I dont like to give plot points away or how each actor/actress plays their roles. All I can say is I hope you found this as enjoyable as I did.Content, for a movie about a porn star, there is only 2 bare asses shown. Deleted scene shows 2 more & some boobies. Little bit of cussing.

luckysoul-1 (2012-05-12 05:51)

Best TV Season Ever

I was fortunate enough to see this movie at a special screening lastnight and had no idea what to expect. The poster and tagline made itseem like a raunchy romantic comedy aimed at women or young men. What Isaw instead was one of the smartest, most heartfelt and profoundcomedies I've seen in years. But it's not for everyone. ELEKTRA LUXX is striking first and foremost for its jigsaw-likestructure. This is a movie that doesn't beg you to like it, it simplystarts telling its multi-character tale and lets you decide whether tocome along for the ride or not. Its filled with so many witty detailsand so much great dialogue and genuinely touching moments, that itfeels more like a strange condensations of an entire season of yourfavorite television show expertly cut under 2 hours. The centralquestion in the movie is delivered by Julianne Moore (excellent as theVirgin Mary, the only entity that listens to our protagonist, aseveryone else simply asks things of her, and it is: What is you heartworth? This question resonates with all the characters in the story,who initially seem like stereotypes (the dumb blonde, the blogger inhis basement, etc) until we see that each one is really an innocent(another important line, this time from Mr. Gordon Levitt: "He's aninnocent. the world already has enough grownups) looking for a romanticconnection in person in a world of internet fetishism and voyeurism andisolation. At the heart of the tangled (but easy to unravel) jigsaw puzzle isCarla Gugino as the title character. Let it be said that few moviesI've seen allow a performer to show a more dazzling display of actingabilities and Miss Gugino tackles every hurdle in her way with thegrace of the greatest (singing and dancing? No problem. Playing twinsin the same scene, one with a lisp? No problem? Being funny? Noproblem? Being heartbreakingly sad? Done.) That she is also the sexiestgreat actress working helps, even if the blond wig is a littledistracting at times. Even here, however, the little movie (the budgetis clearly non-existent) triumphs. The wigs, props, flashback devicesand artifice surrounding the real themes of the movie: gender politics,identity, self-discovery, only seem to bring these into sharper focus.At one point one woman tells another one that she is in love with herand the other woman responds that they are not even gay and woman #1explains that it has nothing to do with gay or straight, that it'ssimply love and so everything will figure itself out. That the momentdoes not feel like soapbox preaching is a testament to the writing(exceptionally smart) and the entire movie thrives on this kind ofoptimism. Optimism for a less cynical world in which "fallen" women canget advice from the Virgin Mary, find redemption and re-inventthemselves as "a person of substance". See it and tell all your openminded friends to check it out.