There is an air of sadness that haunts this surprisingly breezy movie, which follows the last six decades of one of Britain's first and biggest modern entrepreneurs. As an old and lonely Paul Raymond looks back at the rise and fall of his soft-core exotica empire and his relationships, the film charts the changes in sexual morals and tastes over the years in conjunction with a man whose ambition and self-belief failed to move fully with the times. Michael Winterbottom romps across the years (sometimes a little too fleetingly for some of the characters' changes which at times seem a little abrupt) and brings his usual sense of realism to events, but he also knows when to let the camera linger and for the actors to do their part. Steve Coogan does a very strong job of conveying the man's arrogance and vulnerability, and copes with portraying the passing of years well. In a film littered with many recognisable British actors and comedians, there are many impressive performances, notably Anna Friel as Raymond's wife and Imogen Poots as doomed daughter Debbie. The nudity now seems almost quaint - there is nothing to shock here - but the (self-)destructive relationships feel contemporary; a standout scene is the meeting between Raymond and his illegitimate grown-up son, which ends with pitch-perfect timing and delivery by Coogan. The 50s, 60s and 70s are recreated wonderfully - the 50s are, of course, in black-and-white! - and overall The Look Of Love provides a fairly brisk but seemingly honest and sincere account of this larger-than-life man.
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