Gregg Araki's 'I Want Your Sex' Stirs Up Controversy at Sundance with Kinky Workplace Romp.
The provocative art magnate Erika Tracy, played by Olivia Wilde, turns the world of introverted college graduate Elliot around when he lands a job as her assistant. While not exactly a return to form, this feature marks Araki's first in a dozen years and is a welcome comeback.
Araki's unobtrusive approach to sex and relationships reminds one of his "Teenage Apocalypse" films from the 1990s. Cooper Hoffman gives a physically expressive performance as Elliot, who experiences an immediate sense of liberation after becoming Erika's sex slave. However, Araki takes the air out of this momentous self-discovery with moments that become cartoonish and feel like finger-wagging conversations.
Despite its clunky moments, 'I Want Your Sex' is a welcome departure from the self-imposed norms that might stifle sexual expression. Wilde delivers a marvelous performance as Erika, who hides pulsing anxieties in plain sight despite her sociopathic selfishness running deeper and darker than expected.
This film yields raucous and sexually charged entertainment seldom seen in Hollywood of late. The performances are fine-tuned, including Wilde's and Hoffman's, making it a tremendous amount of fun to watch.
The provocative art magnate Erika Tracy, played by Olivia Wilde, turns the world of introverted college graduate Elliot around when he lands a job as her assistant. While not exactly a return to form, this feature marks Araki's first in a dozen years and is a welcome comeback.
Araki's unobtrusive approach to sex and relationships reminds one of his "Teenage Apocalypse" films from the 1990s. Cooper Hoffman gives a physically expressive performance as Elliot, who experiences an immediate sense of liberation after becoming Erika's sex slave. However, Araki takes the air out of this momentous self-discovery with moments that become cartoonish and feel like finger-wagging conversations.
Despite its clunky moments, 'I Want Your Sex' is a welcome departure from the self-imposed norms that might stifle sexual expression. Wilde delivers a marvelous performance as Erika, who hides pulsing anxieties in plain sight despite her sociopathic selfishness running deeper and darker than expected.
This film yields raucous and sexually charged entertainment seldom seen in Hollywood of late. The performances are fine-tuned, including Wilde's and Hoffman's, making it a tremendous amount of fun to watch.