6.7 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Numerous New York City-dwellers come to the exclusive club Shortbus to work out problems in their sexual relationships. Rob and Sophia are a happily married couple, except for the fact that she has never experienced sexual climax. This irony follows her to work, because she is a couples counselor who frequently has to deal with the sexual issues other couples have. Two of her patients are Jamie and James, a gay couple who have been monogamous for five years and counting. James wants to bring other men in to the relationship, and his own history with depression may hint at an ulterior motive. Ceth (Pronounced like Seth) may be the perfect addition to their family, but Caleb, a voyeur from across the street, may have his own ideas about that. Sophia visits Severin, a dominatrix with secrets of her own to reveal.
Starring: Sook-Yin Lee, PJ DeBoy, Peter Stickles, Paul Dawson, Lindsay BeamishErotic | 100% |
Romance | 79% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Where to even begin with Shortbus? As shocking now as it was in 2006, it's perhaps the perfect film for debating the boundaries between arthouse cinema and pornography, as well as how far is too far when exploring sexuality and the fringe of sexual and social expression. With a decided indie flair to everything from the performances to the cinematography, music and often improvisational nature of the loose character arcs and story that unfolds, the film is, at its core, a heart-wrenchingly sad, melancholic drama that focuses as much on mental health as it does the means in which depression, suicidal ideations and other more difficult trials of the mind play out amidst human interaction and intercourse. It asks big questions -- ambitious questions -- though it rarely offers more of an answer than "well, because... people." And at no point does its satisfying ending feel all that much like a happy ending, not that one is necessary given all that's being unearthed. Unfortunately, the result is that Shortbus emerges as little more than an explicit dead-end that fails to do much more than cross lines. Its filmmakers and cast certainly mean well, and lay everything (and I mean everything) out on the table. No boundary is left untested. But I felt the absence of insight as much as I felt the pull of independent films that have shown far less and revealed far more. There is no doubt a prime audience for Shortbus -- those for which its messy titillation only arouses the mind -- but I felt continually disconnected from its search for fulfillment in a hollow world of group sex and emotionally cold physical encounters.
Oscilloscope's Blu-ray release of Shortbus features an unerringly faithful 1080p/AVC-encoded video transfer that stays true to Mitchell and cinematographer Frank G. DeMarco's every intention. The film is shot in an almost self-serious documentary style, with roving cameras that place its audience in every room and hall. At-times extremely grainy and gritty, the aesthetics work well and the presentation, loyal to a fault, follows suit. Colors are largely satisfying, though a pinkish hue tends to dominate flesh tones. Likewise, contrast is more than adequately dialed in, despite some inconsistencies when lighting isn't all that ideal. There are shots and scenes of incredible beauty and just as many that are subjectively ugly and frought with a clarity you may wish was more subdued. But that same clarity reveals plenty of detail throughout the film, from finely resolved skin textures to light hairs along an arm, the weave of clothing, the dimpled quality of leather or the sheen and smoothness of metal. Some artifacting creeps into club scenes here and there, presumably present from the original filming on, but it doesn't appear to be exclusive to Oscilloscope's encode. Similarly, the infrequent crushing that plagues shadows likely had no "fix" and is a part of the intended presentation. All told, Shortbus isn't as striking as you might hope but it isn't meant to be. Realism and fly-on-the-wall visual bluntness is the name of the game and the distributor's efforts fall in line nicely.
Shortbus features a solid DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track that retains the qualities of the film's original sound design. However, like the visuals, the sonics are intentionally down and dirty. Dialogue is intelligible on the whole, though crowd noise sometimes combats fidelity, and prioritization is decent. LFE output musters some notable support during club scenes and the rear speakers keep pace, making more chaotic group sexual encounters immersive with plenty of, erm, activity. There isn't much more to praise or criticize, though. This is Shortbus as its meant to sound, for better or worse.
Shortbus is a challenging film, albeit one built on a gimmick that isn't meant to be a gimmick but "feels" like one all the same. It seems more interested in challenging than revealing, questioning rather than answering, and exploring rather than reaching any truly meaningful destination. Longing looks, rising music and slow zooms are meant to convey epiphany but rarely strike as genuinely revelatory. Fortunately, Oscilliscope's Blu-ray release delivers a solid, faithful AV presentation and quite an impressive supplemental haul.
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