SHORTBUS (2006)

Cast

Plot

If you thought Hedwig and the Angry Inch was a film unlike any other you'd seen before, get ready for Shortbus: a frank and fun film about the sex lives of humans, ostensibly set in New York, but relevant to every one of us. The plot plays a supporting role in what is, in many ways, a beautifully disguised self-help documentary. Sex therapist Sofia (played by Canadian radio star, Sook-Yin Lee) has frequent, athletic (yet frustratingly unfulfilling) intercourse with her boyfriend. Her seeming inability to achieve the ever elusive Orgasm sets her on the path to self-discovery and self-fulfillment, taking part in what is undoubtedly the friendliest, most inviting orgy group in the history of cinema: the Shortbus group. Unlike a lot of recent European films that feature 'Real Sex' (the stark Nine Songs or the negativity of Battle In Heaven) Mitchell's film is a testament to his generosity of spirit, and his underlying humanism. It is beautifully shot, bursting with colour, with the cast breathing life into characters that could easily have become 2-dimensional cyphers, representing as they do all manner of sexual predelictions. The movies positivity is infectious to the point of being genuinely inspiring, with Sofia's coming-of-age (no pun intended) a great thing to see in a medium that all too often ignores female sexuality. Highlights are too numerous to mention. The first must-see of the year for me, and a gift to humanity from the director. God bless you, Mr Mitchell!