Rocco (2016)

Plenty to Like, Plenty to Dislike

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

Blistering performances.

"Rocco" opens with porn actor Rocco Siffredi talking about a "devil between his legs," his dark side that is permanently threatening to destroy his life. It's too bad that the filmmakers never make any effort to expose this devil and instead seem give their subject complete control over their project. The result is definitely interesting, and sporadically very funny, but unfortunately shies away from Rocco's darkest fears and the low-points of his life. For those unaware, Rocco is a porn actor known for very rough scenes, though apparently (judging from this movie, at least) the work atmosphere on his sets is quite friendly and supportive of the women he works with. You could obviously question if the team is always this nice to the actresses, even when they are not being filmed by outsiders or the women decide in the last minute they don't want to do the really hard stuff, and since the directors rarely interview the porn stars without Rocco present, that element of the film doesn't hold up to much scrutiny. We just have to believe the movie that Rocco is always a nice guy to every girl he has sex in front of a camera with, and your willingness to sympathize with the main character in his more emotional scenes will likely depend on wether you go along with that or not. Speaking of emotional scenes, there are a couple in which Siffredi talks about his family life growing up, or his family life now, and in these moments he seems honest and open about his feelings. However, once more the film suffers from a lack of outside perspective from people who might give a more critical account of our star's private behaviour. The scenes with his sons in particular are awkward to watch, and you can clearly see how uncomfortable they are with being filmed while their dad talks to them about porn. Most of the movie is centered around Rocco with very few outsiders commenting on the man or his work. One is his wife, though we only get a few lines from her about how great a guy her husband is. Another is his cousin and co-worker Gabby, though he serves more as comedic relief (the disappointed look on his face after Siffredi simplifies a set piece he thought of is hilarious and sad at the same time) than he does provide a different viewpoint on the hardcore scenes he films. The only person who manages to take the spotlight away from Rocco and affect the way we see him is fellow porn actress Kelly Stafford, who stole the movie for me. Not only does she offer a female opinion on porn of Rocco's caliber, her friendship with the man, which ostensibly goes much deeper than a mere business relationship, is also very believable and heartwarming. Overall, if you're interested in how porn scenes are filmed, this film might be of interest to you. Just don't expect it to be very critical of its subject.

It's about a porn actor. It's about the porn industry, so from the start it is a divisive subject. But I think what most people fail to realise is that women are paid a lot more than men in the porn industry and it is a career they have chosen. Is it for everyone? No. I have to call out the kink shaming in these comments... yeah bdsm isn't everyone's cup of tea but for some people it's a lifestyle choice, and as a category of porn, it is obviously popular, the female actors also talk a lot about how much they enjoy it- they have chosen that type of porn because it's something they enjoy. I think Rocco Siffredi has a very sado-masochistic personality, which has been complicated by his catholic upbringing and the guilt he feels; he likes pain, but he also likes giving it, but if it's consensual, which in the documentary it is, then I don't see an issue with it. Yes the story he recounts about his mother's friend was disturbing. I don't agree with his actions, but he clearly has some issues with sex addiction and has had these issues for most of his life from the stories he recounts from his childhood. I can see that the film is a bit of a vanity project, but I don't think it is nearly as terrible as people are saying. I think they are confusing being confronted by the subject matter and the quality of the documentary. The documentary itself is not badly made, there are actually some interesting conversations within the film. I found the comment that we don't see anything about his real life a bit ridiculous... you see him at home, you see him with his family, you see him missing his wife as he talks to her on the phone, you hear him talk about the loss of his brother and his mother, he talks about his father, he argues with his cousin... there is actually a lot about his life in there.So yes, as a documentary it is a bit self congratulatory (keeping in mind that every documentary contains bias) but I still found it interesting and a worthwhile watch but if you can't stomach the porn scenes it's not the documentary for you.

Many of the reviewers here were apparently expecting an hour and 45 minute long vlog by Rocco going about his daily life, which this is not about. Nor is it another sub-par "I use to do porn but now I am an advocate against it" type documentary.Its an artistic film about Rocco's past and present with a behind the scenes look into some of the scenes and how he feels about it all. How he began to dislike what he did when his family came along and his sons began to grow up.You also get to meet Kelly Stafford, a true unknowing victim of modern feminism, who basically needs to be choked and spit on during sex because she cannot meet a manly man in her real life. She aches for masculinity and dominance so she can succumb to her born-biological female need to be feminine and submissive.The scenes may come across as "degrading" to some, but with masculinity so lacking in this day and age, its what these performers and the female viewers truly want and you get a first hand look into that.This film digs deep into masculinity and femininity with a little background on the man so legendary for putting those very two things onto tape.With all that in mind, enjoy.

Financed by its "star," Rocco Siffredi, and struggling to show the amazing artistry and artistic anguish of this sagging, sad old porn actor and producer, this "documentary" will make you question the meaning of that term in present-day context. Siffredi was one of the pioneers of extreme porn, in which women are brutalized — slapped hard, choked, spit on — during supposedly "sexual" acts, and in this pathetic excuse of a film he tries hard to sell the notion that this is something that women not only enjoy, but demand from a sexual experience. Ultimately, despite what looks like a hefty budget and a lot of deeply anguished cinematic soul-searching on Siffredi's part, the whole enterprise has the entertainment value of two flies enjoying an intimate moment on a dung heap. These are pathetic people who have wasted their lives marketing low-grade filth to pimply 14-year-old boys. They are not particularly intelligent or interesting, they have acquired zero wisdom even though they appear to be in their sixties, and they are far from attractive in any sense. And here's your spoiler — Siffredi's soul-searching leads absolutely nowhere. The reason is simple: he has no soul. If you opt to watch this one, folks, invest in a good-quality vomit bag first.