Lovelace Directed by: Rob Epstein & Jeffrey Friedman Starring: Amanda Seyfried, Peter Sarsgaard, Hank Azaria Rating: R Release Date: August 9, 2013
Trailer Score: 9/10
Thoughts by TSR: I can say with certainty that I did not expect anything from Lovelace other than enjoying the Peter Sarsgaard bits. I can now say with certainty that I kind of loved this trailer. The look of the film is to die for, and the cast looks uniformly excellent. Other than Mean Girls, the only time I remember being overly impressed by Amanda Seyfried is at the end of Les Misérables. If her performance as porn star Linda Lovelace is as good as what’s shown in this trailer, it might be her best work yet. Whether she’s running scared from Peter Sarsgaard’s Chuck Traynor or saying “I’m really sorry, did I do something wrong?” after doing the job a bit too well, Seyfried looks perfect.
The trailer isn’t dominated by Seyfriend though. We also get fantastic looks at Sarsgaard, Hank Azaria, Bobby Cannavale, and Chris Noth. Peter Sarsgaard is one of my favorite actors – his performance on the third season of AMC’s “The Killing” is haunting – so I knew I’d at least like him. He looks just as good as Seyfried, both in the comedic moments – “I think they’d dig me” – and the frightening abuse towards the end. Then there’s Azaria, Cannavale, and Chris Noth, Noth doesn’t stand out quite as much as the hilarious Azaria and Cannavale, but all three make their presence felt. Beyond the cast, the costumes and makeup/hairstyling are equally impressive.
I didn’t expect it, but I’m now awfully excited for Lovelace. With James Franco showing up as Hugh Hefner, it’s probably foolish that I wasn’t excited all along.