Pleasureland

I remember watching this film when it came on channel 4. I found it very intriguing to say the least . It is quite shocking and i would say the British equivalent to 'Thirteen' but better. i recommend it, but prepare to be taken on a roller-coaster ride of emotions.I would say the acting is superb also as the emotions and determination of the characters is believable,although the story lines may seem far fetched through the eyes of those who live a more conservative life to which they may be may be appalled by the extremities that the the characters especially the main character goes through.It is sad to consider that the pressures faced on teens is truthfully as extreme as it was portrayed in this film.Excellent viewing if you are into British raw gritty down to earth documentary style narratives like me!BRITS KNOW HOW TO DO IT BEST!!

Pleasureland was originally made for the UK broadcaster Channel 4 for their controversial 'Adult at 14′ season, looking at many issues affecting teenagers in 2003. Pleasureland was playwright Helen Blakeman's first teleplay and she uses the subject matter to explore teenage sexuality, teenage pregnancy, peer pressure, hypocrisy and the destructive course one girl goes through.

Joanna "Jo" Mosscroft (Katie Lyon) is a 14-year-old Scouser girl in Year 9 from a poor single-parent family and attends a private all-girls school. All around her, she sees that her peers have boyfriends and are having sex and one day decides to join in. Lead and pressurised by her class' popular girl, Sophie (Leah Whittaker) Jo goes down a dark path in a very troubling coming-of-age story as Jo rushes to grow-up in a world of sex, drugs and betrayal.

Jo begins as a shy good girl who is an easy target for bullies, someone who is easily used and manipulated by others. Early on the film she is only invited to a party so would 'cop off' with a boy she likes and pressured into performing oral sex publicly. That action leads to Jo being called a 'dirty whore' at school, exposing the lose-lose situation that a girl could be placed in, being seen as frigid if she does not have any sexual experiences and a slut if she does.

During Pleasureland, Jo goes through her first love with an older man, a man who uses her for sex. Her personality changes, becoming more aggressive and horrible to people around her, to which she eventually becomes the bully she was formerly a victim of. She ends up going off the deep end, with drugs and alcohol during the film. She begins backstabbing and abusing everyone, including her little sister and no one seems to know how to stop her. Yet, when Jo does have sex there is pain on her face, where we see that it becomes a hollow experience for her, thinking it something she needs to do.

Pleasureland juxtaposes the ideas of Jo wanting to grow up quickly while still being seen as a child by adults. Jo thrusts herself into a dark world, getting led by others, turning from the very inexperience girl who does not know much about sex, to being the girl in school who brags, exaggerates and lies about her sex life and becomes more sexually adventurous. She wears a school uniform yet puts on make-up and tarts herself up for nights out. Jo is a girl with romantic ideals when she is in a relationship and her homework still involve things like colouring maps. When the police take Jo home the officer asks "is this your little girl" and she is taken to a children's ward when she is severely beaten.

Katie Lyon is the centre of Pleasureland and she does give a really strong performance. A particular moment is when she is heartbroken and crying in her room. It is a shame that she never continued in acting as she was only 18 when she starred in the film.

Percival was not afraid to embrace the darker and crueler parts of the story. He was explicit as he could be involving the sex scene, showing more and more as the film progresses. There are brutal moments like a fight scene between two girls and someone burning Jo's hand with a cigarette. But Percival uses a hand-held approach and the low budget shows when he uses sudden zooms and very quick cuts, making Pleasureland look like a more amateurish effort.

There are also some little issues in the film like when Jo is becoming more aggressive to the point where she arguing with teachers and running out of exams leading to the question wouldn't the school contact her mother to discuss her behaviour? Pleasureland makes out that Jo to from a poor background when it could have been more bold and relatable for the intended audience, if she was made out to be from a Middle-Class background or at least she was in the school because she had a scholarship of some sort.

Pleasureland aims to be a cautionary tale for its target audience about the perils and hypocrisy of peer pressure and the destructive effect of someone rushing into sexual relationships when they do not have the emotional maturity.

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Great film!!! Strong!!! I have added it to my collection alongside with American films "The Kids" and "Thirteen". The "13" is quite weak film comparatively to the "Pleasureland", which is strong and unique (and very British!!) !!!

Recommend to see! That is very sad that i went to a "boring school" where we were studying and not doing anything else (more exciting then thet).... :'( at my school we have tried alcohol only after we were 17 and "the rest" in few years....

Great film again!!!! I would classify it as "Documentary" but not "drama". Thanx to producers!!

Why do i have to write minimum 10 lines if my ideal comment is within 4?? also this comment editor doesn't keep layout. All my new lines are messed up into on ugly paragraph

'Pleasureland' is a depressing look at the life of teen-aged girls in contemporary Liverpool. The plot unfolds as a simple progression through a parent's worst nightmares, and manages the near-impossible task of over-stressing the importance of peer-pressure as a motivating factor in teenage behaviour. No-one has any fun and overall, there's all the charm of a public information film. Just say no!

Pleasureland was an inspiring and extremely harsh but very true reflection of the dull atmosphere and dark circumstances that peer pressure can cause especially over sex, drugs and alcohol. When I was around that age in 2003 and had so many friends with plenty of similar experiences like the ones shown in this feature length drama I but that film had everyone talking and thinking about giving into pressures before they went too far. To say it affected parents worries I'm sure is true but in my opinion it was not made for parents and its not parents that reflected upon it throughout their left over teen years. I feel like that comment was a bit to one side and critical of what was at the time a very affective production. I need to find a copy :( x