Meet Monica Velour (2010)

Kim Cattrall has had a long career as a sex kitten, but despite having seen her in various vehicles over the years, I really only suspected she was deeper and more knowing than she lets on. We men have an instinctive love for her, I don't really know why, but I can tell you it's mysterious and unmistakable, almost as if she'd been bestowed some divine quality meant just for us. But maybe not, she doesn't seem to lack for female friends, or is that just an illusion? This little movie must have been pitched to her as a good way to say goodbye to all lingering sex kitten expectations. It's rough on her former image as an four-star temptress, but oddly enough, by its end, I think I liked her even more than I had before seeing it, and that's no small accomplishment. Does she look old in this? Yes, there are many unflattering shots. But, believe me, they serve the story and they serve it well. Halfway through I thought to myself, you can have your Meryl Streeps, I can't remember appreciating a performance as much as I did this one. I was enthralled and it felt almost as if it was all meant only for me. How can that be?I'm not sure how to express what it's about. She's a washed up porn star living in a trailer who meets her greatest fan, a 17 year old geek played beautifully by Dustin Ingram. This is not a perfect picture, I'm not sure what ordinary women will make of it, but it tries for something so real and familiar to so many men, it deserved much more praise than it got. And I for one think her fellow actresses must harbor some envy for the sheer indelible nature of her performance here. Or they should though whatever she's got, for the most part they have little chance of beating it.

With a title like 'Meet Monica Velour', one can almost be assured of some sleazy raunchy plot of a scenario and gratuitous nudity. One would be wrong; well there's some, not much, partial nudity but it is absolutely necessary in the context of the story. The storyline summary in IMDb is as much as needs to be said unless you are prepared to deal with the real and more lengthy story. The full story is much more in depth than what is superficially conveyed by the title; a better choice for a title could help this nice story to find an audience and reassure the viewer that the movie is not raunchy or sleazy. I decided to watch it because I often take a non conventional approach to picking movies; seeking gems, I watch a volume of films which inevitably means I will see duds and crap before I find those gem that make it all worthwhile. 'Meet Monica Velour' is almost one of those gems, not quite but as close as it comes to the real thing. That makes it worth a view. Why? For all the following reasons: Kim Cattrall shows that she can act, oh yes, no kidding; she is giving a performance she can be very proud of. Before this movie, I thought of Kim Cattrall as an actress who only did commercial stuff where she is a character of low morality to say it nicely, and where little acting skills were required. Here she plays a person of low morality in a way of course, but one who is honest, caring and loving while having to show the struggle of a former porn star with some brain and what she must endure later in life. It is a beautifully done piece of acting as you'll ever see; she is completely believable and garnishes sympathy from a stunned viewer like me. I dare anyone to find a smart review that says different. Then there's Dustin Ingram, who plays the main character and acquits himself with equal savvy; his character is brilliantly well depicted. There are several sweet moments and as many realistic down to earth, "real life' moments that deserved good acting and these two actors delivered. A young director by the name of Keith Bearden now has a showcase for his portfolio and one he can be proud of, both for the directing and the script.

Looked at as a whole, Meet Monica Velour is missing some key elements that would make audience members walk away saying, "Wow." The cinematography reminds me of riding in the car with my 85 year old grandfather when I was a kid...it feels like you're not even moving. The director seems to have been too much of a rule-follower, as if he was following class notes in numerical order. However, the cast was wisely chosen and the poor technical issues of the film can be overlooked because of the commitment of the actors. It's possible to get lost in a story, to forget about the poor technical issues, if the story is well told - that's what happened in Meet Monica Velour. In particular, Kim Cattrall is so convincing in this lead role, so enveloped in this character, that one might begin to wonder if and why Hollywood shut her out so early. This film proves that they could have had another Meryl Streep on their hands, and they let her go. I'm certain the producers of Meet Monica Velour are thankful that they did.

A gem to watch. A master piece of artistry that not many movies portray. It comes with solid acting and portrays some harsh realities of the direction life can go in. You just can't help to feel sorry for Monica who is masterfully portrayed by Kim Cattrall. The good acting and storyline does an excellent job at capturing your attention and has a moving story to tell. Some situations are just downright too un-imaginable or bizarre which makes it really comical, providing a good laugh.It started out a bit slow but once the plot is underway it is a gem of a story to see unfold.