Pleasure

Ninja Thyberg’s unblinking study of the porn industry offers far more than sensationalism.

When it comes to cinema that takes advantage of the increasingly lenient standards of censorship over the depiction of sexual acts and naked bodies it has often been the case that female filmmakers have led the way. France’s Catherine Breillat startled cinemagoers in 1999 with Romance and again in 2004 with Anatomy of Hell while Virginie Despentes on making her debut in 2000 as both writer and director added violence to unsimulated sex in Baise-moi. Now it is the turn of Sweden's Ninja Thyberg who follows up a series of short films with her feature debut. Written by Thyberg and Peter Modestij, Pleasure is set in America and tells the story of an 18-year-old Swedish girl played by Sofia Kappel who arrives in the USA intent on becoming a porn star. It is as explicit in its own way as the other films I have mentioned and this is a field in which exploitation and shock can easily be the name of the game. Nevertheless, whereas Baise-moi in particular struck me as deeply offensive, Thyberg’s film is something very different albeit that any viewers uneasy about sex scenes in films today are unlikely to be won over.

In point of fact, apart from Kappel, all those seen on screen here - be they involved in porn as actors, directors, photographers, agents, managers or assistants - are portrayed by people who are appearing in roles akin to their own lives. But, given that such casting is no guarantee of a convincing presence on screen when participating in a film telling a story, the fact that Pleasure feels 100% authentic is remarkable. Thyberg must take much of the credit here but crucial to the project is Sofia Kappel herself. Casting this young actress as the Swede who arrives in Los Angeles and assumes the name of Bella Cherry on taking up a career in porn has yielded a performance which is little short of remarkable. She brings to the role both of the aspects that matter: the strength of character which drives the girl’s ambition and the sense of somebody sufficiently young and inexperienced to be vulnerable as she moves into a world that draws her in even though the full reality of it is something of which she cannot as yet be aware. 

In documenting this, Thyberg takes a stance which gives the film its character. Two aspects stand out here. First, she refuses to preach preferring to let the world depicted speak for itself. Non-judgmental in tone, Pleasure never tells the viewer what to think but at the same time it charts clearly the nature of the porn industry. By including Aidan Starr, a female porn director appearing as herself, it does illustrate that a porn actress like Bella Cherry can be treated with consideration, but it also becomes evident that this is a sphere in which men dominate. When Bella agrees to participate in a scene of rough sex for a male director but then starts to have doubts he appears initially to show consideration. But, when her anxiety increases and results in her wanting to leave in mid-shoot, his lack of any real concern becomes shockingly apparent. Furthermore, we see how any porn actress seeking to make a name for herself is likely to find that the price for that is to be willing to participate in any kind of sex scene required (Pleasure includes a bondage shoot and Bella opting to make a greater impact by taking part in porn involving double anal penetration). But it is equally relevant that the film is told from Bella’s viewpoint and that she is a woman who makes her own choices. We see too her rapport with other girls in the business including Joy (Revika Anne Reustle) who becomes a friend, albeit that it is also shown how such camaraderie can turn into rivalry.

Ninja Thyberg’s film is an extensive elaboration on a short piece bearing the same title which she made in 2013 but clearly this is her definitive portrait of the porn industry. The film is not perfect. That the music score should frequently take on an operatic and even religious tone merely feels bizarre and the last scenes build up to a very abrupt ending. This happens in a way which seems a bit contrived while also lacking in the detail which would make the conclusion an effective one. Even so, Pleasure is truly astonishing for its assurance as a first feature and Sofia Kappel’s lead performance is up there with the year’s best.

MANSEL STIMPSON

Cast: Sofia Kappel, Revika Anne Reustle, Evelyn Claire, Chris Cock, Dana DeArmond, Aiden Starr, Jason Toler, Kendra Spade, Mark Spiegler, Aramis Sartorid, John Strong, Reza Azar, Lance Hart, Axel Braun.

Dir Ninja Thyberg, Pro Erik Hemmendorff, Eliza Jones and Markus Walta, Screenplay Ninja Thyberg with Peter Modestij, Ph Sophie Winqvist Loggins, Pro Des Paula Loos, Ed Amalia Westerlin Tjellesen and Olivia Neergaard-Holm, Music Karl Frid, Costumes Amanda Wing Yee.

Platform Produktion/Film i Väst/Lemming Film/Logical Pictures/Flamboyance Films-Mubi.
108 mins. Sweden/The Netherlands/France/Norway. 2021. US Rel: 13 May 2022. UK Rel: 15 June 2022. Cert. 18.