Real Sex in Shortbus

Do you know what the controversial film director John Cameron Mitchell says about sex in his latest movie Shortbus? According to him most of the sex in the comedy, as he calls his flick, is "ridiculously bad sex" which lets the viewers know something more about the characters, something that could not be learnt otherwise.

Shortbus, which is called by its director "a soft-hearted New York comedy" shows the stories of some couples and single persons. The comedy reveals some ways people use to seek love in their lives. As often as not, people think that they can find love through sex.

Among the characters there is a gay couple: James and Jamie. The couple is consulted by a relationship therapist Sofia. The therapist, in her turn has her own problems with her husband Rob who is involved in unlikely relationships with a dominatrix at a weekly cabaret venue which at the same time is an androgynous multisexual and multiracial sex club or salon presided over by drag queen Justin called Shortbus.

The comedy includes lots of sex. The most amazing thing about the sex in the film is that this is most real sex as the there are no clothes separating naked actor's bodies, no body doubles, no stand-ins and only real penetration!

Sex is not Porn

The film's director says he is sure that his comedy is very likely to offend some people. However, Mitchell is not going to make any apologies. He thinks that language of sex should be used in films like it is used in books and everywhere else.

As well Mitchell says he thinks that showing openly what is happening in the scene is much more preferable than cutting to an ear, as it is not so patronizing towards the viewers who should not be treated as kids. Mitchell does not want to be condescending and he thinks that most viewers should manage to deal with the fullness of this experience.

Mitchell does not want his comedy to be considered porn. He says that many people confuse sex and porn. If one looks in the dictionary he will see that porn is mainly intended for arousal purposes. This cannot be said about Shortbus, as sex in this film is designed for better understanding of the characters.

Mitchell says that anything, even a glass of water can make aroused a person who wants to be aroused. The director cannot control the audience, but he can make this "glass of water" a metaphor which can bring a thought or even a tear. In Shortbus they intentionally de-erotised the sex in the comedy to make it a metaphor.

The comedy had the premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in 2006. Shortbus caused a great deal of controversy.

Mitchell says he understands that there should be a limit on age. However, the film director thinks that some teenagers can deal with this comedy whereas some 50-year-olds who cannot.

Controversy is not new for Mitchell

John Cameron Mitchell is openly gay and controversy is not something new for him as his 2001 film Hedwig and the Angry Inch was about a transgender rock musician. The musician was chasing after his ex-lover who plagiarized her music.

Mitchell's first flick, Tarnation was about a gay Jonathan Caouette. In 2005 he directed videoclip for the song of Scissor's Sisters Filthy/Gorgeous which was banned from MTV for explicitly sexual content.

Mitchell says Shortbus is a warm a fuzzy comedy which cannot be compared with lots of latest despairing sexual films.

The film director is sure that those who liked Hedwig and the Angry Inch will certainly like Shortbus. And vice versa those who didn't like Hedwig are not going to like Shortbus.

Have you never seen any film by John Cameron Mitchell? Than perhaps you should see Shortbus and make your own decision.