Beginning in the 70s and extending all the way to the 90s, Paul Raymond was dubbed “The King of Soho” due to his domination of the London area with strip clubs and nude theatres, before turning to the world of publishing, while still maintaining a stronghold as a prominent real estate and business owner.
In the film ‘The Look of Love’, the charismatic Steve Coogan shines playing the English playboy, starting with his life in the theatre just as the laws on nudity are changing, following Raymond’s expanding and ever-changing empire as it plays havoc on his marriage to Jean (Anna Friel); his playboy nature growing in strength due to his daily temptations. We also witness his up-and-down relationship with his daughter Debbie (Imogen Poots) until her eventual death in 1992, whole leaves Raymond a recluse.
THE LOOK OF LOVE - TRAILER
This fascinating life is worthy of the big screen and is played out by a terrific cast, but it’s just a little too shallow to be considered a home run film, and too biased to be called reality. Many of today's biopics are siding with their protagonist, telling the stories from their skewed perspectives, doing them, the story and the film in general a great disservice.
While highly watchable, no true light is shed on the subject, with far too much attention being paid to his successes and not his personal failures for which there are many with devastating consequences.
Vivid and stylish, ‘The Look of Love’ is an entertaining step back in time, but when you realise that the truth is far stranger and more entertaining than the fiction, you’re likely to be disappointed with the end product.