By all means, you have to see John Cameron Mitchell's new film, Shortbus. It's an exhilarating cinematic experience exploring sexuality, love and life. Set in post 9/11 New York, mostly unknown actors (the best kind) engage in graphic sex scenes that help tell the story of their characters. It's an astonishingly beautiful film, intimate and engaging. I highly recommend it.



I love JCM's Hedwig & The Angry Inch and was more than a little worried that he planned to follow it up with "The Sex Film Project", as it was known for the last several years. But Mitchell delivers the goods here. It is explicit, but not in a titillating way, you become invested in the characters and the journey they are on. I can't really articulate exactly what I think of the film quite yet... In some ways, I feel like I have never seen a movie before in my life. I have definitely not seen anything like this before and it excites me to think about the ways this film will alter the cinematic landscape in years to come. In an age where people are obsessed with reality shows that are unrealistic, I think that the impact of Shortbus will be huge. Rarely are films so heartbreakingly funny and truthful. It moved me. It made me what to be one of the "special" kids. It made me want to ride the shortbus, all the way home...

I'm sure the high camp content in Brian DePalma's new film The Black Dahlia was not intentional, but despite the best efforts of everyone involved.... Well, let's just say that I found myself laughing out loud, more than once. Based on the novel by James Ellroy which in turn was inspired by the real life mystery surrounding the death of Elizabeth Short, DePalma delivers an uneven film with several questionable casting choices. It's Eckhart and Johannson that I had a problem with. Though Josh Hartnett does seem a bit young still, he does an admirable job. It's Swank's movie, though. My biggest complaint is that the film takes so long to get to the Dahlia's murder and Swank as a suspect. She rips up the scenery with one-liners and vogue-like posturing that would have made some of the era's screen goddesses jealous. Obviously, this girl did her homework and it shows, making Scarlett Johannson seem like she's in a high school play. "How do I hold this cigarette?" Ugh! Please!

Some of the long tracking shots are nicely done. Though the films biggest surprise is kd lang's appearance as a Deitrich-like performer in a lesbian club singing "Love for Sale", surrounded by lesbian showgirls, making out.... Weird, right? It's totally surreal. Overall, I liked the movie, just because of where it ends up going.... The first half an hour seems almost deceitful. By the time Rose McGowan shows up in an eqyptian outfit, I was hooked. The only truly haunting performance in the film comes from Mia Kirshner as Elizabeth Short, appearing only in black and white screentests and pornography... She is the heart and soul of the film. "Can you play sadness?" The cameraman asks her.... She smiles sweetly, with vacant eyes... Great job. I told my companion that I would probably really like this movie the next time I saw it. I guess that's saying something.

As for Swank, I don't think she'll win an Oscar for this one, but I do think she should star in a remake of The Women. Or maybe do the Faye Dunaway biopic.... Layers upon layers of campy goodness.