Review of The Opposite of Sex (1998) by Alice S — 12 Apr 2011

Everything about this film is philosophical, moving, real, and funny, except for the main attraction: Christina Ricci and her plaintive whine. The script breaks down stereotypes of love, lust, gender, sexual orientation. Love isn't always about caring for another; it could be a moral obligation. Lust isn't always about fucking; it could be as Lyle Lovett's sad-sack says, "Say it's concentration. Say it's supposed to focus your attention on the person you're sleeping with, like biological highlighter. Look for me first in any crowded room. And I'll do likewise.".

Dede's narrator character seems to be the storyteller necessary to reveal all these other characters' stories. There's no rhyme or reason to her manipulations. Her redemption moment is nice, but the audience is never truly aware of her original impetus for seducing her half-brother's boyfriend.