The Addicted One

Known for its unsimulated sex scenes with gay, lesbian, bi and straight characters and for starring Sook-Yin Lee, a former VJ of Canada's MuchMusic, this film is one of my personal favorites. It is really kind of weird that this film didn't stir up that much controversy as I was pretty sure that some right-wing extremists would find this film very offensive. Anyway at first, I didn't like how the film ended but after my second viewing of the film, I really began to appreciate the film more.

The story revolves around several characters: a woman who has never had an orgasm even when she has sex with her partner, a man who seems troubled and depressed with his relationship with his gay lover, and a female dominatrix who has never had a real relationship or human interaction at all. There are also other subplots such as the one about the voyeuristic stalker who seems to be following the gay couple. I love the colors and the overall tone of the film, and I am glad that this film doesn't try so hard to be artistic. I love the realistic conversations about sexuality, and because of those honest conversations and dialogues, the film feels similar to the earlier romantic comedies of Woody Allen.

The sex is just a part of the film and the story, and the most explicit ones are right in the beginning so don't let that stop you from watching this film. The sex scenes, however explicit they might be, are really intense and sensual. They are not exactly arousing but it feels like those people performing the sex scenes are actually making love and are feeling pleasure especially at the room in the club where a lot of people are having sex. The sex here is not degrading at all, unlike the ones in other contemporary films. If I were to choose between Hedwig and the Angry Inch and Shortbus, I would say that Shortbus is John Cameron Mitchell's better film.