Review of My Year Without Sex (2009) by Kathryn R — 13 Aug 2009

When one enters a cinema noting that 90% of the audience is female, one expects 'chick lit' or a weepie. Sarah Watt is a great storyteller, but chick lit is not her scene. In episodic form, she portrays an ordinary family as they experience near-tragedy and misfortune, but come out of it with just a little bit of luck.

This is a love story, and it portrays how a close family can overcome great stress by knowing love for each other. The key character is Natalie, played by Sacha Horler, a brave actor who can handle difficult parts superbly.

Watt ignores the old rule: never appear with children and dogs. The children are truly very good, the dogs well-behaved. Does it help that members of the author's family are well represented? Look for 'Antoinette'.

This is Watt's husband, William McInnes in drag. Another important character is Margaret, the one-time junkie pop singer, who essays a change as a priest, then surprises us all in the end. One hopes that this film reaches the rest of the world uncut.

There is some strong language, but it belongs. Watt cleverly inserts the odd 'plant'. We wait in vain for the realization - Watt is an animator after all. And, yes, the audience came out smiling.