FINDING BLISS
US, 2008, 90 minutes, Colour.
Leelee Sobieski, Matt Davis, Denise Richards, Jamie Kennedy, Caroline Aaron.
Directed by Julie Davis.
Finding Bliss is a light comedy on a serious subject. Leelee Sobieski portrays a young girl, thinking back over her past and her sexual inhibitions, her going to film school and succeeding in winning an award (presented by Garry Marshall as himself). However, in Hollywood she doesn’t get the breaks, Marshall not responding to her calls. She guides traffic at the studios and then is sacked. She answers all kinds of interviews and finds herself at a pornography studio without realising what it is. She is persuaded to look around, sees an editing suite as well as studio facilities and decides that to take the job, editing the pornography, while using the equipment and facilities for making her own film. The cast in the pornographic films apply to her to act in the real film and find some liberation in a proper acting performance.
Matt Davis portrays the independent director who is not recognised despite his awards, goes into the pornography business and is successful, finds that he cannot tell his wife who walks out on him and has an affair with the professor at the college. He is attracted to the young woman, they have battles, they work together, they clash, they fall in love.
The film is one of those which has its cake and eats it, looking pruriently at times at the pornography industry while in many ways decrying it. However, especially through the young woman’s disapproving father, the film takes up the issue of judgment of people, their moral backgrounds, their decisions to work in such industry as pornography, the consequences. The film advocates a non-judgmental attitude.
Included in the cast are Denise Richards as Bliss, the star of the film the director is making and that the young woman has to edit. The film ends up at the adult video awards – a happy ending which still leaves a lot of the issues quite ambiguous, depending on the audience’s point of view about pornography, its qualities, its effect on its audiences.
1. A comedy, serious issues, a film about cinema and film-making? Pornography?
2. The film having its cake and eating it, touches of indulgence, touches of decrying, the issue of being judgmental about the people involved in the industry?
3. The audience attitude to pornography, the industry, the depictions of sex, the hardcore acting of sex, a moral basis for judgment, values? Participation in the industry, immoral or amoral? Pornography as an industry, its pseudo-art ambitions, the effects? The adult video awards? Parallels to the Oscars?
4. Jody’s story, her voice-over, as a child, spin-the-bottle, the wishful thinking, the kisses, as older, her being called a slut and rejected? The effect on her sexual attitudes, experience? Her love of romance? Sublimating her sexuality into film-making, the course, winning, awards, Garry Marshall presenting the award, proud parents, the photos, Kathleen and her support? Going to Los Angeles, her parents paying for her course? Her screenplay, shopping it around, people’s comments? Getting jobs, traffic at the studio, her failure? Her applications for many jobs?
5. Irene, the interview, as a producer of pornographic films, professional, the tour of the studio, the advertisements, the titles, the editor and his friendship, his opening his mouth and being indiscreet? Her idea about using the facilities? Talking things over with Kathleen, her hopes?
6. Jeff, his reputation, meeting Jody, suave manner, filming sexuality, his awards? The truth about his life, his independent film and its success, awards, not getting any jobs, not being able to tell his wife, her disgust, the affair with the professor? His meeting Jody, the bond between them, her resistance, the sauna and the line that he took and her using it in her film, the college reunion and his attack on the professor, the alcohol in his face? The sexual encounter, Jody being upset at Sindi and her intervening? Going to the awards, his winning, the gift at the end? Jody coming on as Bliss? His stances and values?
7. The cast, Sindi and her behaviour, Dick and his performance, Laura? Jody and her editing Bliss – and her imagining Bliss talking to her? The revelation that Laura was Bliss? Her friendship with Laura, Dick, auditioning, the film-making? Studios?
8. Jody and her work, the editing, Bliss talking, the erotic dreams, filming, the auditions, Kathleen and her help, the earnest porn stars wanting to act properly, the discussion of plot and characters with them, the affirmation that Jody gave them, finishing the film?
9. The party, Dick and his dildo gift? Her parents turning up, the father and his disgust, judgments? The reaction to Jeff and his talking to them?
10. The film finished, the premiere, the reactions, her mother pleased with the film, her father turning up with Sindi, Sindi’s apology?
11. The adult video awards, Jody not being let in, disguising herself as Bliss, coming on stage, the reconciliation with Jeff?
12. Any human subject being able to be the subject of humour and jokes, including the pornography industry?
