Sex is Comedy (2002/2004)
As movies have become more and more
ingrained into modern culture, and sexuality has become
more and more open, sex scenes in the movies have
become more and more bold and daring. This is certainly
even more true of those in European films, which have
always dealt more openly and honestly with realistic
matters of the heart than Hollywood ever has.
A bold and daring sex scene is at
the heart of "Sex is Comedy," a 2002 film from French
writer/director Catherine Breillat, whose films "Fat
Girl" and "Virgin" have often included graphic sexual
scenes. Breillat is represented here by Anne Parillaud
as Jeanne, a filmmaker struggling to get her young
male and female stars to express any sort of intimacy
in her latest feature.
We begin to see the problems in
the first scene of the film where Jeanne and her steadfast
crew (including hottie Ashley Wanninger as her assistant
Leo) attempt to lens a make-out scene on a beach in
the blustery cold of winter. Here the problems of
such a scene in a film take on many dimensions as
Jeanne must not only deal with uncooperative weather
and actors who are freezing while pretending it is
summer, but also young actors who apparently do not
like each other pretending that the opposite of that
is true as well. (Isn't that why they call it acting?)
Through much forcefulness, cajoling,
complaining and mothering, Jeanne is eventually able
to get her scene on film. The point here being that
it takes much work, both mental and physical, to get
a sex scene on film. Much is required of the actor
and the actress as well as the Assistant Director,
the costume designer, the set crew and the prop maker.
But the biggest flaw in the film
is that we never really understand why it is so important
for Jeanne to achieve this graphic sex scene. (I've
never seen Breillat's other films, so I don't know
if she is referencing one of her prior works). She
drones on and on about how important it is and how
the actors will not want to do it properly but no
exposition exists on just what she is trying to achieve
cinematically and thematically here. If we understood
even for a second why this was so monumental to her
(other than understanding that she is a filmmaker
trying to achieve her own vision), maybe we could
muster up some sympathy for her cause. Even her actors,
we presume, have read and understand the script and
can somehow relate to what she is trying to achieve.
But the audience here is simply in the dark. Sure,
it isn't completely necessary for us to know this
in order to understand the film. But it might help
us become more involved. As it is, we wonder at time
if Jeanne, like us, doesn't just enjoy seeing her
cute young actors half-naked.
This struggle to capture a sex scene
is the entire point of "Sex is Comedy." After such
craziness and strife, we wonder what all the fuss
is really about. Didn't these actors read the script
before they signed on? Didn't they sign contracts
stating they would have to perform sexually explicit
scenes before the cameras began to roll? (This is
covered in the film and the answer is yes and no but)...
If that is the case, why not? Sounds like Jeanne needs
to find herself a casting director who knows what
the fuck they are doing and actors who are willing
to be involved in such a film. As it is, Jeanne seems
sometimes to be like a sexual politico posing as an
artist and that makes it very difficult to care on
iota for her or her goals.
Notes:
In French with subtitles.
At one time the film was to be called
"Scenes intimes" (Intimate Scenes).
Released in France in 2002, the
film did not reach American shores in arthouse release
until October 2004.
Viewed in October 2004 as a part
of the Austin Film Festival at the Arbor Theater.
