PEOPLE VS. LARRY FLYNT, THE
SYNOPSIS:
In the twilight of the sexual revolution in America - the early
70s, a sex entrepreneur, Larry Flynt, massages his small string
of strip clubs into a publishing empire. Hustler. Raw, raunchy,
and pushing the limits of public tolerance. Arrested for
publishing obscenity, Flynt fights the system all the way to the
Supreme Court - while forming a close relationship with Althea
Leasure, in a private world that rages behind the headlines.
Review by Andrew L. Urban:
Milos Forman doesn’t make many
films - this is his first in seven years - but gee he makes them
well. From his casting to his dynamic pace, to the way he moves
you, and to the use of music, he is a master at it. In this
riveting film, he spins a two-sided coin, with the sleazy and
determined Flynt on one side, taking his right to free speech
into the Supreme Court even as he admits to the worthlessness of
his subject matter. This is the story of how Flynt is arrested -
but not stopped. On the flipside is Flynt whose extraordinary
love affair with Althea Leasure may seem bizarre but it’s
also magically moving. Courtney Love is outstanding, but then so
is everyone involved. This is a thoroughly satisfying film that
will linger in my Milos memory alongside One Flew Over the
Cuckoo’s Nest and Amadeus.
Review by Louise Keller:
This completely satisfying film has
it all - a fantastic true story, great adaptation and wonderful
performances. As in his other works, Milos Forman’s artistic
capacity is beautifully showcased. The story of course has great
elements, and Forman presents it with just the right balance. The
viewer is given enough information, but not too much; the
sensational aspects are not over-sensationalised. Woody Harrelson
gives a convincing and multi-dimensional portrayal of the complex
Larry Flynt, while Courtney Love is absolutely remarkable as his
anything-but-conventional wife. The bizarre relationship is
portrayed as one of the most moving and memorable in my
recollection. A wonderful touch is the cameo appearance of the
real Larry Flynt as Judge Morrissey. Watch out too for the scene
where Larry Flynt asks his audience which is worse - sex or war?
The flashing images behind Flynt alternatively depicting images
of sex and war bring forward a most disturbing moral issue. This
is a must-see movie.
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US
CAST: Woody Harrelson, Courtney
Love, Edward Norton, James Cromwell, Crispin Glover, James
Carville, Brett Harrelson, Donna Hanover, Norm McDonald, Vincent
Sciavelli, Miles Chapin, Richard Paul, D’Army Bailey, Burt
Neuborne, Jan Triska
PRODUCER: Oliver Stone, Janet
Yang, Michael Hausman
DIRECTOR: Milos Forman
SCRIPT: Scott Alexander, Larry
Karaszewski
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Philippe
Rousselot
EDITOR: Christopher Tellefsen
MUSIC: Thomas Newman
PRODUCTION DESIGN: Patrizia von
Brandenstein
RUNNING TIME: 127 mins
AUSTRALIAN DISTRIBUTOR:
Columbia TriStar
AWARDS: Best Director, Best
Screenplay, 1997 Golden Globe Awards
AUSTRALIAN RELEASE: Feb 20 1997
(In Cinematheque: extracts from Milos Forman’s address to the National Press Club, Washington, on Larry Flynt and censorship.
Also see Hunter Cordaiy’s column
on censorship.)
AUSTRALIAN VIDEO DISTRIBUTOR: Columbia TriStar
AUSTRALIAN VIDEO RELEASE: AUGUST 19, 1998
RRP: $24.95
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