EN Online Drive In

Strictly Sexual

Release Date: 2008
Director: Joel Viertel
Screenwriter: Stevie Long
Starring: Stevie Long, Johann Urb, Amber Benson, Kristen Kerr
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Buddy
MPAA Rating: For strong sexual content including graphic dialogue (no nudity though) as well as minor drug use.

Description: Tired of the emotional hassles of dating and relationships, successful and beautiful pals Donna (Amber Benson) and Christi Ann (Kristen Kerr) decide to keep two unemployed New York construction workers (Johann Urb and Stevie Long) around in a "strictly sexual" capacity. The plan works like a charm -- until love starts to rear its inconvenient head in this savvy "Sex and the City"-style comedy, also starring Brooke Allen as Cassandra

Review:

Michael Larson ©2010

This film shows the beauty of today's multiple distribution channels. I would have never have caught this wonderful indy film just a few years ago. The characters are deeply flawed individuals who have rich stories that come to life through this piece of cinematic art.

It's the most romantic movie in my memory without being sappy. It truly shows all the characters point of views from a male and female perspective which is something very rarely if ever captured on film. It can be watched a as wonderful date night movie, or with the girls ala Sex and the City if you want to see a real mans point of view and have some giggles. It's a near perfect fit either way.

The setup is somewhat ridiculous as the four characters meet in a hotel bar and the two guys are mistaken for male prostitutes. However somehow it all just works despite the ridiculousness of it all. I include the "pool house" the guys are kept in as it is in reality a cabana. I am not sure if this is the constraints of low budget filmmaking, or for comedic effect, but somehow it works.

There are a couple of other minor flaws in the film, really the major one that is hardest to get past is the complete LACK of nudity in a film with so much sexual content. By the end I started watching to see just how they would cover themselves up in each sex scene. Be warned the language is raw and despite the lack of nudity the sex scenes are still quite raw and some may find some of them disturbing as well, but it is all done in a way that fits the story. It is a lot like real life, so it deserves its R rating.

The movie ranges from being laugh out loud funny to that oh-man-that-happened-to-me-too funny that just makes you smile.

Interestingly one of the main stars of this movie also wrote it. Stevie Long plays Stannie quite convincingly so convincingly that you can see the character obviously has a bit of him in it after learning more about this movie

Overall the refreshingly real back-and-forth conversation, likeable but flawed characters, and excellent storytelling just win you over in this movie. Thank you to Hulu for bringing movies this good to the masses.

Watch complete movie

DVD Spotlight

If you could have sex with no strings attached, would you?  Donna (Amber Benson) and Christi Ann (Kristen Kerr) try their best, with funny and heartbreaking results.  Tired of dating and relationships, the daring women keep two young men in their pool house for strictly sexual purposes.  Joe (Johann Urb) and Stanny (Stevie Long) are unemployed New York construction workers who have found themselves living with two beautiful and successful single women.  But the hardest part about all that sex?  Sometimes you find yourself falling in love. In the vein of "Sex And The City", this film is directed by Independent Spirit Award winner (John Cassavettes Award) Joel Viertel, and written by Stevie Long, who also stars in this heartfelt, ensemble comedy about how sex and love can make us laugh and cry at the same time.