Shortbus (John Cameron Mitchell, 2006) [4]
I swear I didn't read The Hack's review of this film before I saw it but it's exactly what I thought. For a film that drops itself into a world of hyperactive pansexuality in an attempt to engage and perhaps shock the viewer, I was bored more than anything throughout. Mitchell still gets an A for effort for at least trying to address sexuality in an real, frank way. This is never done in America but has attempted in Europe with films like 9 Songs and Base Moi. Like those films though, the execution leaves something to be desired. The sex here is so outrageous and while it may be meant to be that way, it comes across as silly and practically harmless. Perhaps I don't have the same sensibilities as most of America (I'm sure a good number of people would be absolutely offended if they did see this film) but I find nothing about the sex here. I have the feeling that Mitchell wants to present a challenging film but all that really comes of it is Rent with sex as the Hack puts it. Mitchell said in a making-of doc that he wanted the film to be uplifting instead of negative. The problem in his quest to show 'we're lonely but we can still make it' viewpoint, he takes all the impact his original idea had and sugarcoats the ending leaving me a bit disappointed. I didn't expect to be bored so much.
I swear I didn't read The Hack's review of this film before I saw it but it's exactly what I thought. For a film that drops itself into a world of hyperactive pansexuality in an attempt to engage and perhaps shock the viewer, I was bored more than anything throughout. Mitchell still gets an A for effort for at least trying to address sexuality in an real, frank way. This is never done in America but has attempted in Europe with films like 9 Songs and Base Moi. Like those films though, the execution leaves something to be desired. The sex here is so outrageous and while it may be meant to be that way, it comes across as silly and practically harmless. Perhaps I don't have the same sensibilities as most of America (I'm sure a good number of people would be absolutely offended if they did see this film) but I find nothing about the sex here. I have the feeling that Mitchell wants to present a challenging film but all that really comes of it is Rent with sex as the Hack puts it. Mitchell said in a making-of doc that he wanted the film to be uplifting instead of negative. The problem in his quest to show 'we're lonely but we can still make it' viewpoint, he takes all the impact his original idea had and sugarcoats the ending leaving me a bit disappointed. I didn't expect to be bored so much.
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