January 12, 2007 -- The writer, director and star of “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” comes up with an even more sexually charged and much more explicit film in this unrated movie about a strange collection of people in New York of various sexual preferences seeking love and fulfillment. The film explores sexual gratification, love and death and the various ways these intersect. This film is basically pornography, but it has enough art in it to earn it a showing in art houses instead of being relegated to the seedier theaters downtown.

The centerpiece of the film revolves around the strange goings on in a kind of club called Shortbus where a variety of activities happen, ranging from multimedia presentations, group sex and group therapy. The sex looks real, not simulated, and it involves a number of positions, some of which I thought were impossible for all but the most limber contortionists. The sex is also quite explicitly shown in a number of scenes. The story involves a number of diverse characters whose lives intersect at Shortbus and which are intertwined in other ways.

The main character is Sofia (Sook-Yin Lee of “Hedwig and the Angry Inch”) a sex therapist who has never had an orgasm. Another main character is James (Paul Dawson), who is suicidal because of his inability to let other people in emotionally. Another main character is Severin (Lindsay Beamish), an unlucky dominatrix who is so emotionally closed off she can't even tell people her real name. There are a number of other characters even more strange like Bitch (his or her real name) a transsexual type with a good singing voice, Tobias (Alan Mandell), who claims to be a former New York Mayor, but isn't. Others in the film playing themselves, are, believe it or not, The World Famous *BoB*, Dirty Martini and The Wau Wau Sisters.

Repeated use of what looks like a miniature model of New York city is used to create various scenes involving a blackout, and a re-lighting of the city due to an orgasm, of all things. There are some nice photographic effects used in the film, including the creation of a sort of halo around a streetlight where a character is seen mightily trying to achieve a digitally self-induced orgasm. Another odd scene shows a man bellowing the national anthem into another man's butt during a three-way homoerotic encounter.

As much as the film may pretend it is about the various characters attempts to connect to other people, this film is even more about these characters being utterly self-centered. Several characters go on about how they can only achieve sexual satisfaction by themselves. The entire film is like an exercise in cinematic onanism. As such it is curiously uninvolving. Its fragmented storyline never comes together. The sexual partners seem to move apart more than they ever move together, as if their self-exploration can only advance when they are alone. This film reminded me of that old Billy Idol song, “Dancing With Myself.” This film rates a C+.

Click here for links to places to buy or rent this movie in video and/or DVD format, or to buy the soundtrack, posters, books, even used videos, games, electronics, theater tickets and lots of other stuff. I suggest you shop at least two of these places before buying anything. Prices seem to vary continuously. For more information on this film, click on this link to The Internet Movie Database. Type in the name of the movie in the search box and press enter. You will be able to find background information on the film, the actors, and links to much more information.

Copyright © 2007 Robert Roten. All rights reserved.
Reproduced with the permission of the copyright holder.

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