Shortbus, John Cameron “Hedwig” Mitchell’s new movie and Hollywood’s latest attempt to marry explicit sex and entertainment, has garnered mixed reviews in the UK. In the US it was universally loved and at Cannes it received a standing ovation. All of that’s pretty easy to explain.
American society’s still prudish enough to think any glimpse of cock is a blow for the counter-culture. The French applaud anything which suggest US culture is reaching sexual maturity, and the UK loves and loathes the US in such perfectly equal measure its citizens consume and deride all things American without thinking.
I haven’t seen the movie having ditched an invitation to the premiere with a friend, and failed in an aborted attempt to catch up later when the gang of women and gay men who’d arranged the tickets called me too drunk to travel an hour before showtime.
Having decided I’ll never see the thing I have been catching up on the reviews and I’m increasingly bothered by the number of them which state “This isn’t pornography because it’s about more than simple arousal”.
Who said arousal was simple? Arousal is porn’s only task and most of it fails to clear the hurdle. If Shortbus is capable of arousing audiences and making them think that doesn’t mean it’s not porn. It mean’s it’s good porn.
Popularity: 38% [?]
It’s worth checking out. Saw it last week with the girlfriend. She liked it even more than me, and I quite enjoyed it.
In Ireland where I’m from, every review has been positive.
http://www.sex.ie/2006/12/02/review-shortbus/
http://morgspace.net/2006/11/29/shortbus/
http://frankthemonkey.com/film_full_review.php?page=587
It’s a bit strange, because Irish society is mildly anti-porn. I guess when it’s “more than simple arousal” Irish folk are OK with it..