shortbus Photo

Shortbus

Starring: Sook Yin Lee, Lindsay Beamish, Paul Dawson, Yolanda Ross, P J DeBoy

Directed by: John Cameron Mitchell

RS: 3of 4 Stars Average User Rating: 3of 4 Stars

2006 ThinkFilm Drama

Early on in this erotic hot button of a movie, a dude contorts his body so he can suck himself off. It's all there, including the jizz. Before you write off Shortbus as the Jackass of porn, you should know that the movie is the id child of John Cameron Mitchell, the formidably talented creator, director and star of 2001's Hedwig and the Angry Inch. The sex is real in Shortbus, requiring the actors to give their all, but the film's concerns go way beyond exhibitionism. In examining the confluence of flesh and spirit, Mitchell and the actors -- they helped him write the script -- want to show what sex really says about us, good and bad. It's a grand ambition, only partially realized. But watching Mitchell try makes for an exhilarating trip.

Shortbus is a New York underground salon, where orgies and sex talk redefine carnal knowledge. It's a place where Sofia (Sook-Yin Lee), a sex therapist who's never reached orgasm with her husband, Rob (Raphael Barker), can discuss her problem with Severin (Lindsay Beamish), a dominatrix. Then there's James (Paul Dawson) and Jamie (PJ DeBoy), who bring in a third guy, Ceth (Jay Brannan), to spice up their five-year relationship. And I haven't mentioned Caleb (Peter Stickles), the voyeur who photographs James from the apartment across the street.

Mitchell uses everything from 3-D animation to what must be the kinkiest version ever of "The Star-Spangled Banner" to catch us up in the vortex of his obsessions. That he scores as many points as he does is quite a feat, given the erratic quality of the acting and the fact that getting too close to what gets you off can be a downer. By taking sex out of the Hollywood safe zone and exposing it to therapy-speak, Mitchell may be inadvertently killing its mystery. Where's the pleasure in that? But if there is such a thing as hard-core with a soft heart, this is it.

PETER TRAVERS

(Posted: Oct 5, 2006)

Your Turn

Give us your review of
Shortbus

Review 1 of 5

2of 4 Stars

What none of the reviews seem to mention is that the sex is mostly gay. There is one good scene at the beginning with Sophia (Sook-Yin-Lee), but as I remember it, most of the rest of the sex I had to fast-forward through since I really don't want to see 2 (or 3) guys doin it.
I really didn't find the story very interesting either.

Mar 2, 2007 11:05:47

Review 2 of 5

2of 4 Stars

This is a want to be prono flick.The film really lost momentum with all of the club scenes. The script is very poor.Another trailer trash movie.None of the acting was convincing.

Feb 5, 2007 14:28:19

Review 3 of 5

3of 4 Stars

I was not at all offended by the actual sex. Additionally, I enjoyed the New York City cutouts and thought the acting uniformly very good. I found the film very engaging in the beginning, however when the third act confrontations began, I found myself growing a little bored. I was also a little put off by the forced "feel good" song at the end. I left the theater more or less shrugging my shoulders.

Credit should certainly be given to much of the excellent work in the film and to the committment of the cast and crew, but ultimately the film did not pay off for me.

Oct 29, 2006 06:52:06

Review 4 of 5

4of 4 Stars

Loved the movie. Not like porn at all-a completely different
experience. The shock value of the uncensored sex wore off
early into the movie. I would haved loved to have seen a little
more character development, but overall a great movie. Really
like the movie's website too. See it here: http://
shortbusthemovie.com/salon.php Think I might even see it
again in theaters.

Oct 8, 2006 20:17:08

Review 5 of 5

3of 4 Stars

Saw it yesterday night, and really enjoyed it. I wish John Cameron
Mitchell would make more movies, but I appreciate that he's not
just a sell-out. And like other great directors--PT Anderson,
Tarantino--he makes a movie when he has something important
to say through his work. There's nothing porn about this movie.
It's a movie ABOUT sex, not arousal. Nice animations of NY too.

Oct 8, 2006 20:02:33

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