Shortbus is probably going to become one of, if not the, single most sexually explicit film released in the North American mainstream that is not considered hardcore pornography. Its release was met with obvious controversy, but probably even more curiosity.
The film, titled after a sex club featured within it, is about four people and their search to be understood. And of course, there is some overtly sexualized about them. Sofia (Sook-Yin Lee) is a sex therapist (or as she likes to be called, a couples counsellor), who has never achieved an orgasm. Severin (Lindsay Beamish) is a dominatrix with a few too many underlying issues. James (Paul Dawson) and Jamie (PJ DeBoy) are a couple who love each other, but need strengthening.
Instead of the graphic and gratuitous sex fest that the movie was hyped up to be, director John Cameron Mitchell has delivered one of the most unique films of the new millennium. And that is not just because of how sexually depraved the film is. Through the twisted editing and raw performances, Mitchell has created a very emotional, at times hysterical and somewhat deep ode to real life. These are real people, dealing with real problems. They are not simple caricatures invented to help entertain the audience. In that attempt, the film feels inundated with authenticity and genuine human emotion matched only by the most independent films in the cinematic sphere.
The intense amount of sex on-screen may turn some viewers away, and even more when they realize that it is not just heterosexual sex. But it is shown in such an artistic and visually appeasing way, that it feels much more candid and personal than a pornographic film (which unfortunately, is the only real notable comparison that can be used). The film does deliver plenty of intense depictions of unsimulated sex, but in watching it, does not feel offensive or threatening. I assumed that I was going to be disturbed by the perversity of the actions taking place on screen, but I actually found myself just enjoying the movie like any other (although I will say that hearing the Star Spangled Banner being sang out of a certain orifice is nothing short of an experience). The graphicness and grim reality that the film paints just feels too poignant and too affecting to not look at it as anything but.
The performances, no matter how amateur, are strong and brave. The realism that these actors strive for is simply astonishing. Watching them perform is almost heart-breaking for how genuine these characters are. The four main performers just seem very open to everything their characters are doing, and are very honest in their portrayals. You can see how desperate Lee slowly becomes to realizing her goal. You can see how hurt Dawson and DeBoy are in how fragile their relationship is. Beamish's need for a real relationship is tender and real. And watching them interact with all of the many supporting characters is just a treat because they too, are putting themselves infront of the camera shamelessly and fully immersing themselves within the story. Their language, through both their body and their voices, is just something extraordinarily true to life, and does not feel at all like it is being acted out. I keep saying it, but it is true: these actors are just acting out real life.
Unfortunately, the film has a few fatal flaws.
But what the film does not delve into is how unabashedly sexual these people are. It is one thing for the many extras to be involved in all of the sexual undergoings the film showcases, but what about the main characters? The four of them go to the Shortbus club in what can only be imagined as a regular basis, and at times, take part in the sexual acts being displayed in front of them. And when they are not discussing the sexual tension in their lives, they are watching an intense amount of people have sex. The four of them seem fairly kinky to me (as the eye-opening introduction suggests), but not to the point that they would accept these graphic demonstrations in front of them. How do they not go running in fear of what they are seeing before their eyes? Why are they accepting it as normal? Their search for understanding is obviously taking them to very different places, but their general acceptance of the swinger lifestyle just does not totally click, especially for Lee's character who is supposed to be devoted to her husband.
As well, by the time the final frame runs, the film does not feel complete. Beamish's character is never truly explored, and the randomness of the final actions by some of these characters just feels a bit off. In fact, the entire finale of the movie just does not jive at all with the rest of the film proceeding it. Its deepness and raw emotion just seem to have been the last thing on anybody's mind when they were putting it together. It feels out of place, and in a way, ruins the entire experience of seeing the film. It just does not feel totally satisfying. It instead, just feels like a bit of a random add-on that just makes for ambiguity, and not much of anything else. The film has so much going for it before these final moments, and has a ton of deeply emotional grounding leading up to it. But it just feels like it just wants to advance to a finale that is not there.
Shortbus was a brave film to make, and for the most part, works very well. It unfortunately has a lot of build up to nothing, but for how controversial the film was, I actually was pretty impressed. It is a genuine and harrowing vision by a gifted director, and even more gifted actors. I just wish everyone in the film industry had so much courage.
7.5/10.
