Until a few evenings ago the number of American films that portrayed anything but a carbon copy 2-D image of sexuality I could count on . . . well, I couldn’t count any. In fact if anyone had asked me to recommend a film that realistically portrayed sex, I would have sent them to Spain or France. I still can’t find any domestic films that suit our purpose, but the 2005 Canadian film ‘Lie With Me’ brings us a little closer to home.
‘Lie With Me’ is a rare and interesting film. It’s a story about sex, which semi-graphically shows sex between two egregiously gorgeous young people, but is neither a fluff art film nor a slapstick pie fucking ‘comedy’. The film is based off a book of the same name by Tamara Faith Berger who also co-wrote the screenplay with director Clément Virgo. I haven’t read the book and don’t plan to. Since I have never watched a novel to film adaptation better than the source I think I am justified.
The first half of the film follows David (Eric Balfour) and Leila (Lauren Lee Smith), as they haphazardly swirl around each other periodically finding their genitals attached. This part of the film is where everything works. The cinematography, direction, acting, and script find a flow that is simply sexy. Every scene for the entire first hour is seductive; you can feel the tension building between Leila and David. Their interaction and chemistry make this film shine.
However, after the first hour the film takes a harsher tone that I wasn’t quite prepared for. Leila, as she tells you through contemplative narration, is not the dating type. When David experiences a huge loss she doesn’t know how to handle the situation and their ‘relationship’ falls apart. I say ‘relationship’, because at this point David knows her name is Leila and . . . well that’s it actually. As we know I am not against nontraditional relationships, but it seems odd to not share anything with someone who has shared so much with you.
All things being equal, this film is a gem. I commend the actors and director for being brazen enough to make this film. They were able to take a standard formula, remove the gunk, inject some realism and come out with a film that responsibly handles the content it covers. Aside from the pretentious analytics, this film is hot. Balfour and Smith are gorgeous, and together they smolder on screen.
Lie With Me is the Let’s Talk About Sex pick of the month for November 2010, and is the very first recipient of the new CERTIFIED SEXY seal. You can buy ‘Lie With Me’ from Amazon.com in our shop.
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