Review of Shortbus (2006) by Bradr. — 13 Jul 2007

This is a movie trying so hard to be at once acceptable and provocative that it ends up being one long string of cliches. Not that it doesn't have its pleasures, guilty or otherwise: the opening is playful, there are funny moments here and there, and there are some jarringly un-funny moments too (e.

G., the dead man in the pool). But finally, the film is as tame and conventional as it could be. Comedy tends toward convention and re-asserting a status quo, but great comedy unsettles us to the core before pretending to patch things up.

Mitchell and his cast never manage to really unsettle us, at least not believably (spoiler warning!). For instance, Jamie's suicide attempt and its resolution seemed painfully contrived and trivial--and the same came be said for much of the sex, which doesn't finally serve any point.

I know that last statement may blow the fuses of the film's many fans, so I'll add another just for fun: take out the sex (yes, it's possible) and what you're left with is a completely conventional, normative romantic comedy.

If you want a thought-provoking film about sex, watch Last Tango instead.