Four Reasons to Rent "Meet Monica Velour" on DVD

Meet Monica Velour (also known as Linda Romanoli.) She's a "middle-agish," washed-up adult films star, attempting to reinvent herself. She's sought out by a star struck teen who travels hundreds of miles to meet her. "Meet Monica Velour" may sound like your typical Hollywood fare. And perhaps it is. But most films of this nature don't star "Sex and the City" alum Kim Cattrall. And while many blockbuster films enjoyed a nationwide run, Velour (which was officially released in April 2011) did not. Never fear, there's always DVD or whatever i-Gadget Du Jour is popular these days --

A different kind of sexy --

You're probably thinking it couldn't have been much of a stretch for Kim to take on yet another sexually charged role. Watching her strut around 5^th Avenue in her stilettos for six seasons on SATC was a load of fun for Kim and viewers. But in "Meet Monica Velour" Cattrall does a different kind of strutting'"around a pole in a dingy strip club. The kind of woman she represents in this movie is far closer to what the rest of the world (anyone outside of show business) might identify with in terms of low self-esteem and self-image. But also in this movie, we get to see Cattrall portray the kind of sexuality that society likes to pretend doesn't exist.

She gained 20 lbs. for the role.

You've heard and seen it before'"celebrities who greatly alter their physical appearance for a movie role. In this case, Kim Cattrall delightfully packed on at least an extra 20 lbs. to play a washed-up porn star in "Meet Monica Velour." It may be a little hard getting used to seeing Kim out of her typical couture shape. She didn't keep that extra weight on for very long after filming. Other celebs have packed on (or lost) even more. Still, it's always amazing to see how far our favorite celebs will go to become their characters.

Before she was "Samantha Jones" --

There are few people who realize that Kim Cattrall is actually a staple in Hollywood, rather than just a sexy addition to "Sex and the City." In a recent interview with Contact Music, she reiterates that she's been acting well before she became Samantha Jones. Check out her filmography, and you'll discover that she's been in the business since the 70s. Nonetheless, "Meet Monica Velour" is the kind of film that will probably show viewers that there is indeed a deeper side to the actress who made Samantha a household name.

There's actually a story in there.

As with a lot of movies that go unnoticed by the masses, this dark comedy purports to shed light on the kinds of households in which the world raises its children. Tobe's (played by Dustin Ingram) obsession with Monica Velour is perhaps meant to speak to the angst of the human condition. Clearly, the realness of both their characters is what drives the movie. And maybe a bit of the humor might feel a little contrived. But after spending more than a decade calling Kim Cattrall "Samantha," it's nice to see her dig into a story that doesn't involve Chanel, the Hamptons, or Cosmopolitans.

SOURCES:

www.insidemovies.ew.com

www.monstersandcritics.com

www.canada.com

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