Elektra Luxx

Film Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Carla Gugino Stars as Pregnant Porn Star in Kitchen Sink Sitcom

Elektra LuxxCelia, aka Elektra Luxx (Carla Gugino) decided to retire from the adult film industry after she was knocked-up by a famous rock musician. But since her baby-daddy is recently deceased, she’s been reduced to supporting herself by teaching sex education at a local community college.
For this reason, a jaded Celia jumps at the chance to spice up her life again the day she’s approached for a favor by Cora (Marley Shelton), a stewardess familiar with her former line of work. Cora asks Elektra Luxx simply to seduce her unsuspecting fiancé in exchange for which she’s prepared to hand over some lyrics stolen from the former porn star’s late boyfriend.
Unfortunately, due to a case of mistaken identity at the designated motel, a flummoxed house detective (Timothy Oliphant) becomes the grateful beneficiary of the luscious lady’s libidinous largesse. Such sitcom-style antics abound in Elektra Luxx, a kinky, kitchen sink comedy written and directed by Sebastian Gutierrez. The picture is a sequel to his previous offering, Women in Trouble, another scatterplot affair featuring basically the same ensemble.
This go-round, our hot-blooded, heroine in heat lands in a variety of sticky situations, so to speak, with everyone from her biggest fan (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) to her identical twin sister (Gugino) to the Blessed Virgin Mary (Julianne Moore). Just don’t anticipate drooling after her and you won’t be disappointed, for precious less skin is served up on screen than is suggested by the flick’s relentlessly-salacious subject-matter.
The easy explanation for all the modesty is likely to be found in the fact that the glamorous Carla Gugino is director Sebastian Gutierrez’s girlfriend, and he probably has no desire to share his good fortune with the world. In this regard, Elektra Luxx is reminiscent of how downright matronly Madonna behaved in the disastrous remake of Swept Away when directed by her then hubby Guy Ritchie. That ill-advised collaboration ostensibly sank not only their film careers but their shaky marriage to boot.
Here, however, provided you are able to tamp down your expectations in terms of carnality, the quirky title character at the center of this chaste sex romp remains just engaging enough for the duration to be dubbed “Elektra”-fying!”

Very Good (2.5 stars)
Rated R for nudity, profanity and graphic sexuality.
Running time: 104 Minutes
Studio: Gato Negro Films
Distributor: Samuel Goldwyn Films