SEX IS COMEDY
Directed & Written by: Catherine Breillat.
Produced by: Jean-François Lepetit.
Director of Photography: Laurent Machuel.
Edited by: Pascale Chavance.
Released by: IFC.
Language: French with English subtitles.
Country of Origin: France. 92 min. Not Rated (but most likely NC-17).
With: Anne Parillaud, Grégoire Colin, Roxane Mesquida & Ashley Wanninger.

Inspired by the real-life difficulties she faced filming a pivotal sex scene in her film Fat Girl, director Catherine Brelliat brings a matter-of-fact tone to this satire, unlike in her latest off-the-wall attempt, Anatomy of Hell. Shot in a pseudo-documentary style, this 2002 film focuses on the tension between two actors (Grégoire Colin and Roxanne Mesquida), who despise each other too much to be in the same room, let alone film a graphic sex scene together.

Jeanne (La Femme Nikita's Anne Parillaud) is the director hell-bent on making the scene work with the actors and no body doubles. Offering philosophical rants about the role of the actor, Jeanne attempts to convince the two that their art must come before their personal feelings. The notion of faking passion where there is none leads to comical scenes, including the pair shooting a beach sex scene in the freezing cold and a prop man's difficulties in fitting a prosthetic penis on the limp member.

Parillaud is beyond convincing as the overly ambitious director, channeling perhaps Brelliat herself. Viewers hoping for the usual raunch fest seen in Brelliat's previous films will be a touch disappointed, considering the sex here is humorously simulated. Other than a few smut-laced jokes, those looking for a shock will be let down.

By exploring the fake eroticism in film, Brelliat pokes fun at the film industry and perhaps even her own work. Much like the clinical, joyless sex scenes it features, the film itself lacks emotion and bite, especially when compared to her other films. Sex is Comedy does, however, provide wit and insight regarding filmmaking, and it most likely should appeal to Breillat's fans. Adrienne Urbanski
October 20, 2004