Body Shots A review by: Blake Kunisch Directed by: Michael Cristofer & Michael+Cristofer Released: October 22, 1999 - US Posted: 1999/10/25 | 5/10 stars"There are movies that define every decade."
This is the first line from the trailer for 'Body Shots,' a movie about 8 twenty-something's
(4 guys and 4 girls) as they meet up and pair off one Friday (or Saturday) night and the
ensuing chaos that follows. Hopefully this isn't the movie that will define the
90's. Although the movie definitely had it's high points, it sure wasn't a Graduate,
Saturday Night Fever, or The Breakfast Club.
'Body Shots' has three distinct sections: Foreplay; Good Sex, Bad Sex; and Afterplay.
Most of the movie takes place during the Good Sex, Bad Sex section. And, if
you haven't guessed it yet, Body Shots is about sex. Ranging from an alleged rape at
the start (foreplay) to bondage, and good ol' fashioned missionary, the movie switches
from candid shots of the actors talking about sex to their love lives and everything in
between. Going from Real-World-like shots of the actors discussing everything about
foreplay, sex, and afterplay, to intimate relationships between the couples to the
crowded, chaotic atmosphere of an L.A. club, it seems that 'Body Shots' really has no
direction during the first half. Later on, tiny sub-plots grow and one eventually
blossoms to hold the whole movie together (sort of). It seemed more of a montage of
different people's opinions on sex and then how they really behaved in their relationships
rather than a cohesive movie with a singular, linear plot.
Nevertheless, 'Body Shots' has some great comedy, with Trent (Ron Livingston) providing
much of the comedic relief. His encounters with 'Bond Girl' are especially funny and
his whole demeanor really makes the movie enjoyable. The gorgeous Amanda Peet (best
known from the WB's Jack and Jill) really lights up the screen and made the movie just a
little bit better. Jerry O'Connell (Sliders) tries to take a serious acting role
(and yes, sci-fi's Sliders is not a serious acting role), but he didn't really seem like
he belonged on the screen with the rest of the actors. The good thing is that he
played a Raiders quarterback so he didn't really have to try and be smart, or debonair,
just play a jock.
Although the movie is tame at parts, an NC-17 rating would have been more than
appropriate. 'Body Shots' is not the movie that defines this decade, and if it is,
this has been a pretty sad decade.
Genres: Drama, Comedy, Romance Rated: R Runtime: 102 minutes Talk back in the discussion boards! |
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