Rocco

Director: Thierry Demaizière and Alban Teurlai
Year Released: 2016
Rating: 3.0

'Intimate' documentary about legendary (and controversial) Italian porn star Rocco Siffredi as he contemplates retirement (he's currently in his 50's) - for those that don't know (cough, cough), Mr. Siffredi is known for his intense sex scenes that often involve physical violence and humiliation. Whatever one thinks of how Rocco makes a living - and, if his voice-over is to be believed, he's troubled by it as well - he certainly is devoted to his craft and the scenes with him and his cousin, the bumbling cameraman Gabriele, are particularly interesting (Gabriele acts like he's shooting a Fellini movie, Rocco just wants to 'get to it') and make for some tense/off-kilter moments. There's a Freudian element to all of this - trauma over his late brother's passing, Mommy issues - that carries over to his home life, where his sons are clearly uncomfortable discussing Dad's profession: his one son admits to seeing Pop's Tarzan movie ... which just so happens to co-star his mother, former adult actress Rosa Caracciolo (I hope they have a therapist on speed dial). There's an on-going debate about whether sex addiction is real or not ... but let me tell ya, Rocco got somethin' going on in both of his heads: maybe he shouldn't have made that pact with the Devil after all.