Sex review: It serves as a learning lesson for all who think that cinema is more about action than dialogue!

In this review, cinematic_beacon aka Rhea deep dives into her experience of watching Dag Johan Haugerud’s Sex! 

Set against the backdrop of modern Norway, Sex is the first instalment of Dag Johan Haugerud’s “Sex, Dreams, Love” trilogy. It follows two men in conventionally rigid heterosexual setups whose worlds overturn as circumstances alter their views on gender, identity, and sexuality. For someone who expected this to be a film that discusses such themes with utmost seriousness, I was pleasantly, humorously, and delightfully surprised! These two men, aided by a witty screenwriter, managed to make an entire crowd laugh with their comical punchlines yet question their own perceptions and thoughts about queerness. 

An element I’ve hardly stumbled upon in other films is the kind of narrative structure used in this one. The film dabbles between conversations rather than sequences between and within the two men and their social circles. There’s little to no action, with certain exchanges taking up to 20 minutes of screentime. The point of highlight for me in this regard is the fact that they were all shot in a single take. Imagine how much room for error there was and then think of the time the cast would’ve taken to practice. Kudos to the actors as they delivered and how! This film serves as a learning lesson for people who think cinema is more about action than dialogue. The beauty of good dialogue, creative storytelling, and clever casting has come out wonderfully in this movie. 

The film touches upon sensitive subjects with not-so-sensitive situations. By the time the end credits rolled, I was questioning whether the views presented in this film were morally and ethically sound, further realising that the director explored this little forbidden aspect of life called ‘grey areas.’ He threw both protagonists into circumstances that were seemingly easy to address and comprehend to the naked eye, however, upon hearing their justifications and counter-arguments, they could not be solved easily. For instance, if a straight man in a heterosexual, monogamous marriage of 25 years has sex with another man outside of his relationship, one would easily term it as infidelity. Some could even go the length to call this man ‘gay.’ That’s what would usually happen, right? Sure.

However, our protagonist has other ideas. To him, cheating isn't defined by physically sleeping with someone other than your partner, it rather pertains to deliberate secrecy, emotional intimacy and a sense of uncertainty. His wife, on the other hand, is opposed to this viewpoint. She questioned him multiple times as to whether he was homosexual, to which he replied saying, “Just because I had sex with a man once, doesn’t mean I’m gay. Does drinking a single pint of beer make you an alcoholic?” And so dialogues like these would make the audience chuckle, while also blurring the lines between right and wrong, between belief and principle. I’d even go to the extent of calling this a debate where subjectivity and objectivity are pitted against each other. Fight on!

Also Read: The Shameless review: This love story marinated in aggression, trauma, and energy is bound to make you glued in!

The film while being a deeply insightful and captivating account of two men exploring their perspectives on gender and sexuality, had some technical flaws. For instance, its duration and pacing. The initial few conversations endlessly keep you glued to the screen; however, like most zoners, it becomes easy to tune out of them after a certain time. The lack of action starts bothering you midway, and you can’t help but get distracted for a few minutes. Additionally, one had the edge over the other of the two stories that led this film. I fail to believe that both narratives were equally engaging. The one about extramarital sex had many more layers of exploration and conflict points. It was written in a manner that brought up fresher ideologies every time the couple picked up the argument. The story had a start, middle, and end with a concrete flow backing it up.

As for the other account, regarding identity, it felt underdeveloped and repetitive to the point where I could only hear “David Bowie” and “Looked at me as a woman” repeatedly. There was little to no growth in the narrative, making it weaker between the two. I wished to see a balanced approach because, in that case, this film would’ve been an even greater success. Next time, perhaps! Overall, Sex is spine-chilling, confusing, yet fulfilling. It makes you question many of your beliefs while serving as a significant body of work for comic relief. 

Sex had its Indian premiere at the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival this year! 

For more reviews, follow us on @socialketchupbinge