SHORTBUS

The streak of good fall films continues with John Cameron Mitchell's latest, Shortbus. After hearing many good things during the L.A. Film Festival earlier this year I was anxious for this film to get released. I have to say I was very pleasantly surprised once I finally got the opportunity to view it.

The film revolves around an ironically linked group of people that all are struggling with their current relationships. The setting is New York City, and it seems the perfect place for this story. The city is represented in the film by an animated model that does a surprisingly good job of creating the New York feel. It also makes such a huge city seem intimate. The story visually hops from building to building while flying through this model. This visualization creates the feeling that all these people's stories are woven together. I could appreciate this once I realized they actually were.

Each of the main characters at some point seems to interact with all the others. Many of these interactions take place at a Shortbus on a dark street. This is a place where these people go to meet others, have sexual experiences and take in some entertainment. In an Eyes Wide Shut meets Cheers sort of way this place is explicit and totally comforting at the same time. You feel juvenile and vulnerable but in a totally appealing way.

The cast of unknowns does a pretty great job of getting their characters' stories across. The actors were part of the creation of the story for the film and that shines through in their performances. The intimate relationships and real sex on film was not off putting like some have criticized. One of my favorites I came across being "Should we also use real bullets on screen?" It was not overly graphic, nor did it seem unnecessary. The characters' unhappiness revolves around sex so it seems appropriate to the film. Get over it people. Mitchell gracefully puts it before you in an intimate, and often humorous, way.

This film is actually very funny. That is one thing that I really enjoyed about it. It is not trying to be an overly serious or in your face film. It comes across as light hearted, but ends up bringing you deep within. It really is the kind of film where you feel like the characters are your friends by the end. You laugh with them. You cry with them. You can probably relate in one way or another to someone. It felt like Rent on a much less musical and less serious note.

The direction is done pretty well. The way it is shot is nothing too special, but it is effective. I would have liked to see more experimentation with the cinematography, but the aerial visual and fly-throughs of the city model were very engaging. The characters were well played and felt pretty natural, which is not often the case for first time actors.

I often feel that music, or the score to a film, can make or break a film. The Shortbus score was done by film veterans Yo La Tengo and they made it for me. I really enjoyed their solid sound and emotional melodies. It fit perfect with what you saw on screen.

A good script and compelling story made this film a joy to watch. It makes you laugh and cry while leaving you with a sense of ease and satisfaction.


GRADE: A-
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0367027/trailers-screenplay-E29222-10-2