What a waste of my time!!!

Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

'The Look of Love' tells the story of the first 'porn baron' of London, Paul Raymond - arguable the richest man in England to ever make his money in such an industry.The first thing you need to know is that the casting of Steve Coogan is a sheer masterpiece. He's every bit believable as the sleazy, low-life kid from Liverpool who made his fortune in London. It's his film and he carries it well. There are a few famous faces popping up here and there and they all play their parts well, too. However, I thought the best co-star was (The Thick of It-famed) Chris Addison, playing yet another slimebag to perfection.If you're even vaguely offended by (female) nudity, or drug usage, then you probably shouldn't watch this. Both vices are frequently portrayed from the opening act to the end.Ultimately, the film charts the highs and the lows of Paul Raymond's career, although, if you investigate the man himself, you may feel that Coogan's portrayal of him and his industry is quite kindly. Sex, drugs and pornography are shown as the norm, rarely damaging anyone's life (other than the protagonist's). But that could be down to the film's running time being quite a condensed ninety minutes. Therefore, we're probably left to put two and two together to realise that such vices can sometimes carry far darker consequences.If you're expecting 'Alan Partridge' Coogan then you may be disappointed. The Look of Love is not that funny, but then it's not really meant to be. It's a (generous) life story of a very interesting may who was certainly not a saint. If you're a fan of Coogan, or just curious to know what goes on behind those alluring neon lights in Soho then give this one a go.http://thewrongtreemoviereviews.blogspot.co.uk/

There's an excellent story in here somewhere, and this movie does its best to tell a 40 year story in little more than an hour and a half, and while it's an enjoyable ride, it's all too sketchy to be really satisfying. The tone and performances are great. Coogan is very good and his improvisatory talents bring out similar qualities in many of the rest of the cast. Presumably a talent for improve is why actors like Chris Addison and James Lance were chosen, but even Tamsin Egerton has a good bash at it. The tone is odd in places - it's a drama with jokes but the cast has been plucked out of British stand up and television comedy, so we feel that we should be laughing more. Another reviewer made the comment that he couldn't understand why the cinema audience laughed in the cocaine / childbirth scene, as it is so serious. The point is that it is both tragic and hilarious - a scene and film CAN be both. Check out the deleted scenes on the DVD for some of the funnier but less appropriate scenes. Oh, and Chris Addison's beard is dreadful. Overall, though, it doesn't really hold together as a drama. None of the characters are fleshed out enough for us to care about them enough, but it's a great ride nonetheless.

Review: This movie starts off well but then it goes downhill once the relationship between Paul Raymond and his daughter gets introduced. The movie focuses on a period in his life more than his legacy, which is a shame because I found him quite interesting. All of the actors put in good performances and I liked the wit that was put into the script, but I did get bored after a while. Steve Coogan played his part well, taking into consideration that he is coming from a comedy background, but I was hoping for a deeper look into the tycoon. It ends without much explanation about what happened to Paul Raymond and his family and I would have like to see some real footage, either on the bonus material on the DVD or even at the end of the movie. I honestly think that the director cold have done much better with such an interesting individual. Disappointing!Round-Up: Judging by the money that this movie had made, audiences obviously didn't like the directors interpretation of Paul Raymond's life. I hadn't heard of him before watching this movie so I found his story quite interesting. I didn't know that Soho had been controlled by one person and how the whole empire started so it was a bit of an eye opener. I would like to see a proper biopic though.Budget: N/A Worldwide Gross: $16,000 (Terrible!)I recommend this movie to people who like there graphic dramas about Paul Raymond and a period of his life. 3/10

Another reviewer stated, that this is not as engaging as other Steve Coogan and Winterbottom collaborations. I won't comment on that, but try not to think in those categories if you can, because your movie viewing experience will suffer. You shouldn't compare previous works with the newer ones. In this case, Steve Coogan makes an otherwise not very likable character at least interesting. And that is sufficient enough to carry the movie through.At least in my book. Steve Coogan had obviously fun playing this character and it is showing on the screen. Of course there are some usual clichés you get thrown at you, but it's almost impossible making a movie of this size, that is at least a bit commercial, without stepping into them. If you don't mind too much, you will get an entertaining enough movie to pass the time.If the real "Paul Raymond" was half as charming as Steve Coogan in this, than you understand his charm. You also should be aware, that there is a lot of nudity (not really a big surprise considering the theme of the movie).