Porn movies have long suffered from poor scripts and even more commonly no scripts, especially now in the Streaming era where a basically all-sex scene is the coin of the realm.
At Wicked Pictures, writing is more highly esteemed, but a completely mediocre, corny screenplay (uncredited) sinks a serious, well-acted feature.
Director/cinematographer Francois Clousot over emphasizes an awkward structure in which the story unfolds a year ago, with overly frequent "reminder" shots of what is happening to lead Josie (contract star Kaylani Lei) today. So we see her moping or even crying at her makeup mirror, contrasted with herself a year prior, when she is working hard to become a show biz success (hence the movie's title).
This way-excessive foreshadowing robs the show of any suspense and also renders the abrupt ending as more of a downer than perhaps intended.
So we have a functional script for an overly familiar story: not far from the hoary A Star Is Born cliche, as Kaylani becomes something of an overnight success, ruining her marriage to doctor Brad Armstrong.
They are a happy, hopeful couple at the outset, moving into their new home as Kaylani looks forward to an important audition.
Her meteoric rise is unconvincing: instant acceptance by a top agent (Randy Spears in an uncharacteristic underplayed role), almost instant signing by a major record label (whose execs are played by the movie's producer and director: Mark Nicholson and Clousot; a Number One album and immediate tour as headliner. Her hitting the depths of despair just one year later is a bit much.
Clousot spares us the cliches of alcoholism and drug abuse, and even promiscuity is not Kaylani's problem. In true soap opera fashion, she neglects her husband, he resents it and it's only a few months before both of them are unfaithful.
For 2008 when this was made, let alone now a dozen years later, the issue of a woman supposedly having to choose between self-realization vs. subservience to her mate (to preserve their marriage) is ridiculously old-hat. And even more risible as the backbone of a straight-arrow, no laughs XXX movie.
Lei's acting is very good, and she convincing lip synchs for the nice couple of vocals contributed by some jazz singer (uncredited). Tori Black is so beautiful and sexy in the bad guy role of a homewrecker that she steals a lot of Kaylani's thunder, instead of properly being a supporting player.
