Jump to the good stuff: The Story | Some Thoughts | The Final Verdict
The Story:
Shortbus is a comedy-drama set in the early 2000s. It’s about a group of New Yorkers who frequent a sex positive salon.
The film focuses on two couples and Severin (Lindsay Beamish) a dominatrix. The first couple is Sofia Lin (Sook-Yin Lee), a couple’s therapist who has never had an orgasm, and her husband Rob (Raphael A. Barker). When Sofia admits that she’s never had an orgasm, they begin to reexamine the sexual aspects of their relationship. The other couple is Jamie (PJ DeBoy), a former child star, and James (Paul Dawson) a pool lifeguard who was once a male prostitute, who visit Sofia for a consultation. During the session, Sofia tells them about her own problems, and Jamie suggests that she visit a weekly salon called Shortbus, which may help.
As the film plays out, James opens up about his suicidal tendencies; Sofia befriends Severin; Jamie and James meet Ceth (Jay Brannan) and have a threesome; and Jamie and James’ neighbor, Caleb (Peter Stickles), watch as the drama unfold.
Some Thoughts:
Shortbus proves that a film can have graphic sex without being pornographic. The acting is decent, and the cinematography is thoughtfully done. Director John Cameron Mitchell depicts sexual acts as part of the human experience and not as a lewd joke.
Although there’s more story than sex, they’re so intertwined that you can’t discuss one without the other. It shows how sexuality is a part of who we are and how we express ourselves. It’s refreshing to see a movie about sex that doesn’t boild down to a dirty joke.
While the stories are interesting, there are bits that could have been expanded upon. Such as, what brought Sofie and Rob together? They don’t seem to have much in common, and their relationship feels a bit one sided. Jamie’s character is a bit one dimensional. All we know about him is that his identity is centered on being a child star. These missing pieces don’t ruin the film, but they would have given the story more substance.
But even with those small issues, it’s a great piece of cinema.
The Final Verdict:
Shortbus is a delightful light drama that’s well paced and interesting. Although it has a couple of issues with story, it’s well worth your time.