Shortbus

John Cameron Mitchell's (Hedwig and the Angry Inch) latest film has already attracted lots of attention for its extremely explicit sex sequences—the number and variety of which would put many porno flicks to shame. What might escape notice, however, is the fact that Shortbus is also rankly sentimental: what the movie proclaims, through a metaphor about blackouts in New York City, is a variant of the divine injunction from Genesis—not “Let there be light!” but rather “Let there be love!” (or, in this film's lexicon, “Let there be sex!”). The plot centers around two troubled couples—one gay, one heterosexual—who frequent the titular club, a freewheeling sex-experimentation party run by a drag queen. The parts that work best are the lighthearted, off-the-cuff moments; unfortunately, even despite the graphic sex, the film traffics in the same old tired clichés common to romantic movies, albeit dressed up in unusual trappings. The prudish should definitely steer clear, but what ultimately derails Mitchell's movie is the fact that it's actually far less daring than it aspires to be. Not recommended. [Note: DVD extras include audio commentary (by director John Cameron Mitchell and costars Justin Bond, Sook-Yin Lee, Paul Dawson, and PJ DeBoy), a 31-minute “Gifted and Challenged” making-of featurette, eight deleted/extended scenes with optional commentary (30 min.), the eight-minute featurette “How to Shoot Sex: A Docu-Primer,” and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a so-so film.] (F. Swietek)