Review: Young People Fucking

Young People Fucking

OPENING DATE: 06/13/2008

STUDIO: Maple Pictures

TRAILER: Trailer

ACCOMPLICES: Official Site

The Charge

“Sometimes a fuck is just a fuck.” –Kris

Opening Statement

From the film festival circuit to the halls of Parliament, Young People Fucking is the little movie that has received lots of attention in Canada. When Conservative politicians and right-wing interest groups uttered its title as an example of the kind of movie that should be denied tax credits, the low-budget movie found itself at the forefront of a national debate. The proposed Bill C-10 contains a clause that would allow the heritage minister to withhold tax credits from productions that are deemed “contrary to public policy.” Director David Cronenberg and actor-director Sarah Polley are among the industry voices that have called the taxation bill a form of censorship. That is quite a lot of press for a $1.4 million movie from a first-time director.

Facts of the Case

In five separate stories, four couples and one threesome get hot and bothered over the intricacies of crossword puzzles. And if you believe that, we refer you again to the title of the movie. But there’s no such thing as a quickie in this fast and frank sex comedy that traces the dirty deed from foreplay to afterglow. Matt (Aaron Abrams, The State Within) and Kris (Carly Pope) are best friends who have decided to add no-strings-attached sex to their relationship. The married couple, Andrew (Josh Dean) and Abby (Kristin Booth, Foolproof), have hit a dry spell in their sex life so they try to spice things up with a few new moves. On their first date, Jamie (Diora Baird, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning) and Ken (Callum Blue, The Tudors) are co-workers who have really hit it off but it’s well known that Ken is an insatiable player who has slept with every woman in the office. Eric (Josh Cooke) and Mia (Sonja Bennett) are former lovers hooking up again for old time’s sake. Lastly, when Dave (Peter Oldring, Good Morning World) is invited to join Gord (Ennis Esmer, Billable Hours) and his girlfriend Inez (Natalie Lisinska, At the Hotel) in the bedroom, the roommates set aside their animosity in favor of some kinky bonding. As the participants in each situation discover, there is nothing simple about sex and attempts to separate it from the ensuing emotional baggage is foolhardy.

The Evidence

What distinguishes this comedy is the script’s unabashed sexual frankness. These characters talk about sex with a casual openness that we rarely see in the movies. But the explicit dialogue contains a level of honesty that delivers more than titillating shock value, it establishes these characters as knowledgeable, sexual adults (though they are still naïve about their own emotional resilience). The witty script by Gero and Abrams offers a few priceless moments as the protagonists maneuver through a series of hilarious complications in their pursuit of sexual satisfaction.

The attractive cast puts in solid and fearless performances that manage to show different dimensions to their characters despite the fractured nature of each individual storyline. Initially I found Kris (Carly Pope, Beneath) a little too cold in the best friends segment. Her cool attitude and rapid fire banter with Abrams skirts sitcom territory in early scenes. But gradually it becomes apparent that Kris’s coolness — a mix of irony and familiarity that lets her tell Matt he acts like a “gaylord” — is itself a mask she is using to contain her feelings.

In the story of the exes, Josh Cooke ( Bachelor Party 2: The Last Temptation) and Sonja Bennett (Punch) are effectively restrained in their characters’ denial of still-lingering affections. Even as they go through the motions of small talk and flirtation the feeling of loneliness and regret is underscored in their body language.

It is not without its share of quality laughs, but the story of the married couple runs out of steam earlier than the others. The pacing and delivery of the dialogue in this segment feels a little forced as the perfect wrong-thing-to-say lines invariably turn up on cue to kill the mood. Furthermore, so much effort is put into making Alex (Josh Dean, National Lampoon’s Bag Boy) seem like a pussy that eventually I just lost sympathy for him.

The biggest laughs come from the story of the three roommates. Gord is a gleefully pushy pervert who would rather watch than take part in the action. He’s a bit of a bully but his thinly veiled bi-curious behavior is another example of the various shades of personality that have been put into these characters.

Cutting between the plotlines, director Martin Gero (previously a writer and executive producer on Stargate: Atlantis) displays a good sense of pacing as he keeps the action light and brisk. This juggling act works well to bring all five stories gradually to a mutual climax. As a result we can observe the stages of the sexual encounter — cautious first moves, the (sometimes) awkward mechanics of the act and the emotional consequences — in almost simultaneous comparison with the other examples. The editing also lets Gero deftly sidestep the few lulls in the script: when one couple’s anxieties get too tiresome, the action shifts to another couple’s story. Furthermore, the transitions between storylines is handled very well as a natural narrative momentum is found and subtle visual cues help to ease the sudden moves between sets. The action is kept indoors but this modest production has a handsome look to it. The apartment and bedroom sets are filled with convincing details to complement the characters whose lifestyles range from urbane to white-bread to slovenly.

The Rebuttal Witnesses

When Young People Fucking was programmed during last year’s film festival, I gave it a pass based on its title. It wasn’t out of prudishness though; rather I assumed that a movie with such a title was a little too desperate for attention and I didn’t want to be taken in by a gimmicky title. I know now that it’s a good movie that deserves to be seen. But would I have seen it if it had a different title? Undoubtedly, with a more conventional title far fewer people would have even heard of it. The existing title definitely fits as it makes clear what the movie is concerned with while also revealing its frank manner. For many people, the title will remain an obstacle to seeing the movie — and maybe that’s how it should be. Movie-goers uncomfortable reading the word “fucking” should stay well away from a movie with characters that say and do exactly that (and more).

Closing Statement

The movie is a small gem: a smart and funny sex comedy crafted for an adult audience. Underneath all the dirty talk, perhaps the biggest surprise is how wholesome the movie really is. The characters’ pursuit of carnal delight is presented ultimately as a symptom of their desire for intimacy. That intimacy is reached through honest and explicit communication. I can imagine all of these characters as regular readers of sex advice columnist Dan Savage.

Maple Pictures opened the movie in Canada last weekend. In Vancouver, the two major daily newspapers, along with theater marquees, went with a form of Young People F***ing. TH!NKFilm will be distributing the movie as YPF in the U.S.

The Verdict

7/10

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