Review of Shortbus (2006) by Mike D — 19 Jun 2011
A rampantly sexual exploration of relationships in New York, Shortbus reminded me a lot of 70s cinema that explored many of the same issues for example Andy Warhol's Flesh, while thankfully never dipping to the level of smut seen in something like Caligula.
Yes, the sex is genuine, and also frequent, but it somehow feels natural and organic to the characters. The problem really lies in the fact that most of the issues explored here have already been covered in your average episode of Sex and the City, where the writing is sharper and the performances less cringeworthy.
The dialogue here is terrible, full of lines that will make you groan (in dismay), showing all too clearly that much of it was reportedly ad-libbed. Thus a tighter screenplay and more interesting issues for these sexually frustrated characters to grapple with could have easily taken Shortbus to the next level.
This review of Shortbus (2006) was written by Mike D on 19 Jun 2011.
Shortbus has generally received positive reviews.
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