Supersex

 Forget all those "Better then 50 Shades" and such rubbish advertisements on Netflix.

They have a soft-erotic series on there, it is more then decent, namely Supersex, based on the life of famous x-rated actor Rocco Siffredi.

And while it contains quite a lot of nudity (expected considering the topic) for some reason it never felt gratuit, which is quite an achievement in my book.  This seven part series is a tale about toxic adoration for an elder brother, about masochism, and of course about Rocco's entrance into the adult industry.

It starts in Paris in the year 2004, where he announces his retirement before a stunned crowd, telling his agent and cousin Gabriele he can see his dead brother Tomasso.  Returning to 1974, we find a young Rocco in his impoverished village of Ortano with his family, including mentally disabled Claudio and his older (bastard) brother Tomasso whom he adores, as a symbol of masculinity.  Tomasso has a relationship with the prettiest girl in the village, Lucia, even though he finds her cheating on him.  Claudio dies due to a heart attack, ravaging his family, as Rocco comes across a copy of the erotic magazine Supersex and decides he wants to become like the star of the book, Gabriel Pontello.

Tomasso marries Lucia though his family is not allowed to attend, and moves to Paris.  Rocco follows him as soon as he is 18, starting to work in his restaurant as a waiter.  But soon he learns about his attraction on women, sleeping with several of the patrons that come over for dinner.  When a girl, Sylvie, asks to go to the toilet, he starts his first relationship, but soon it starts to dwindle as she can't stand the smell of him sleeping with other women after he does a client.  This is the start of how his sexwork starts to affect his mental health as well as destroying any relational bonds he tries to maintain.

 

When he becomes a regular at a local libertine club, his relation crashes, but he meets Pontello who sees a future star in him.  While his first job on set doesn't turn out well, he soon starts to make a name due to the size of his equipment and the passion he performs with, and his star starts rising in the adult industry.  But slowly his point of view on unstable Tomasso starts to shift, especially after he finds out Lucia works the streets in La Pigale as well to fund their lifestyle, getting pregnant in the process.  He leaves the household after a fight with his drunk brother, and focusses on his career as he becomes a celebrity working with the biggest stars in Los Angeles.

 

When his mother gets sick, he returns home until her passing away, but back at work he reaches his highlight, winning the male performer of the year award under the eyes of his family.  Tomasso tries to redeem himself, even opening a restaurant named after his deceased stepmother, but the gipsys in the village burn it down after an argument and everyone thinks he died in the fire.  But then it turns out he isn't seeing ghosts back at Paris 2004, instead going on a last night out with his brother after he prevents Tomasso making a grave mistake when Lucia remarries, having left Tomasso after another drunken fight.

 

 

They share a last night on the roofs, and reclaim Claudio's helmet from the restaurant Tomasso used to run in Paris.  He leaves his brother behind, knowing he will be comitting suicide as soon as he leaves.  

This was a truly engaging series, and while Rocco Siffredi has been known for his more extreme tastes in sexual acts, something ommitted from the series and his rising career, it still offers a good insight into the trials and tribulations he went on to his road to becoming one of the leading male stars of the adult industry.

One tip though: watch it in the original italian with subs enabled.