Let's Talk about Sex . Newcity Chicago . 09-14-98

Let's Talk about Sex

DIRECTED BY: Troy Beyer

REVIEWED: 09-14-98

The underlying philosophy of this movie seems to be that whatever a woman has to say about sex, no matter how banal, it'll be interesting as long as she's immaculately made up and squeezed into a cutoff T-shirt and tight jeans. And what the heck, it's a sound-byte, image-obsessed MTV generation, and you don't see many anchors delivering the news from a toothless mouth. But if it has to be banal, at least do it in a new way. "Sex, Lies and Videotape" was never my favorite movieÑalthough if ever two awful actors were meant to make the other look good, it's Andie MacDowell and James SpaderÑbut Steven Soderbergh's film creates some honest relationship dilemmas, and is psychologically astute. "Let's Talk about Sex" is pure sappy melodrama, with a few MTV party scenes and gratuitous nudity. A failed relationship can't just be a failed relationshipÐ there's got to be a catastrophic physical cause. Meanwhile, you're supposed to be surprised that women talk about blow jobs, dick size and orgasms, in bathrooms, restaurants or getting ready for a night of slinking around a bar full of beautiful people. Lena (Randi Ingerman) drinks and sleeps with sleazy rockers. Troy Beyer, who stars as Jazz, a lovelorn aspiring TV show host, wrote and directed "Let's Talk about Sex," and she's got camera presence until she delivers her own bad lines. The script is laughable: That cheesy bartender at the start of the movie can't just be a bartender (Paget Brewster), he's gotta be a video editor, and not just a video editor, he's gotta be finishing up his dissertation on sexual psychology, and he's not just out to score, and... well, what more can you ask of the man?

--Sam Jemielity

Capsule Reviews
Let's Talk about Sex

Film Vault Suggested Links
Reach the Rock
Hurlyburly
Dancer, Texas

Rate this Film
If you don't want to vote on a film yet, and would like to know how others voted, leave the rating selection as "Vote Here" and then click the Cast Vote button.