Review of Shortbus (2006) by Yafo M — 09 Apr 2010

From the first time you see the "couple counsellor" character sit on her yoga ball in session instead of a real chair you know this film should have been set in California and not New York. Basically, this is the story of 7 self absorbed and self indulgent whiny characters who have nothing to do but be artistic and unhappy because their sex lives are numbed for various reasons.

The "poor the world does not exist beyond me babies" have such difficult lives and I wonder where the script would have gone if they had real issues beyond their egocentric, narcisstic worlds such as I don't know: poverty, unemployment, discrimination, violence, oppression, etc.

Instead the viewer is exposed to their self absorbed journies and interconnection via a fetish whore house called the Shortbus which of course is the instrument of their salvation. Ok, this is where you have to imagine my intense eyeroll of annoyance at this poser of an independant art film.

Throw in a few cheesy metaphors, some x rated adult scenes and bad acting to package the final product. My advice, if you want to see an adult film rent or download the real thing. It doesn't try to prentend to be art.

If you want to see a good independant film same advice coupled with a bit of research. There's lots of good ones out there that are a cerebral excursion for the mind and the soul. And if you're a real artist you'll take a blow torch to this one!