Elektra Luxx

Writer-director Sebastian Gutierrez's follow-up to his 2009 ensemble comedy Women in Trouble revisits the character of porn legend Elektra Luxx (Carla Gugino). Pregnant and immersed in teaching a class for ordinary women called “How to Be a Porn Star in Bed,” Elektra has given up the adult entertainment business but finds herself surrounded by people who won't let her forget it. A stranger named Cora (Marley Shelton) asks Elektra to seduce her fiancé (to assuage Cora's own guilt for cheating), leading to a mix-up with a private detective (Timothy Olyphant) and a false accusation of blackmail. A blogger (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) living with his mom tries to keep Elektra's legend alive. And a naked guy (Vincent Kartheiser) who gets stuck in an elevator with Elektra thinks he's wandered into some triple-X fantasy. While the cast is outstanding and individual scenes work well, the ensemble approach here ultimately undercuts the coherence of the story (a subplot featuring Emmanuelle Chriqui and Susie Goliti has little to do with Elektra), although the many uncredited cameo performances—including Julianne Moore as the Virgin Mary—add a “wow” factor. A strong optional purchase. (T. Keogh)