Contrary to the mountains of “evidence” to be found on the internet, porn stars are people too. They have their own problems and neuroses to work through, and quite often it’s those very same things that lead to them doing nasty stuff with a bear of a man on some dirty couch with a cheesy guitar riff playing in the background. Or at least so I’ve heard.
Written by ex-porn star Lorelie Lee, About Cherry depicts the trials and tribulations experienced by a young up and (pardon the pun) comer in the biz, as she tries to balance out the contrasting aspects of her life, while falling in love with sleazeball James Franco.
Judging purely from this trailer, author turned first time director Stephen Elliot seems to be attempting to humanize the whole industry, not really vilifying it, but also not selling it as the dream job that some still think it is.
So, Boogie Nights but without Mark Wahlbergh’s massive… 70’s hair-do then? And it’s a stroke of casting genius having Rollergirl herself, Heather Graham, as an ex-porn star turned director.
Synopsis:
The drama follows Angelina (Ashley Hinshaw), an 18-year-old girl on the verge of finishing high school. Angelina’s family life is difficult. Her mother (Lili Taylor) is an alcoholic and her step-father is violent and unpredictable. One morning her boyfriend (Jonny Weston) suggests she take naked pictures for money. She balks at first but then does the photo shoot, using the money to run-off with her best friend (Dev Patel) to San Francisco. In San Francisco, while cocktailing in a strip club, Angelina meets Frances (James Franco) a well-off lawyer who offers to introduce her to a different kind of world, a place full of expensive dresses and fancy parties. But that world is not as perfect as it first appears and Frances has problems of his own. At the same time Angelina, using the moniker Cherry, has begun exploring the San Francisco porn industry under the direction of Margaret (Heather Graham) a former performer turned adult film director.
Last Updated: July 26, 2012
