“Comedy usually mocks norms or shows the craziness of breaking society’s norms. This just sets new low level ones.“
Con Nats
2.5 Cracks of the whip
Elliot (Cooper Hoffman) has landed his dream job after art college. He’s been pickedfrom a group of more arty candidates to be the assistant to Erika Tracey (Olivia Wilde) who is a famous erotic artist. And the best part of his dream is he gets to be her sex slave.
This leads to all sorts of S&M sexscapades and frivolity although it is all on the light side and not half as harsh as real BDSM can be. And it doesn’t delve deeper into Elliot’s psyche than a randy young man without any hesitations. There is one scene involving Apple, (Chase Sui Wonders) Elliot’s housemate where these activities cross the line. But this film doesn’t stay serious enough to resolve it. The story then smashes the line of acceptability when Elliot becomes the subject of Erika’s artwork. It’s Ok. It’s comedy, although Writer-director Araki doesn’t care about conventions.
Araki is a funky director. He adds bits of animation, the sets and Erika’s outfits are vivid and as saturated as an Almodovar film and this film has the same slapsticky sense of humour, minus the pathos. It has a lot of satirical comments about the art industry but they peter out as the focus is on the comedy and slapstick.
This is a top cast and you can tell Olivia Wilde is having fun and Hoffman (Liquorice Pizza) could not believe his luck. He has attracted actors as talented as Margaret Cho (All About Eve) and as untalented as MCXXl. They play it so deadpan, they’re boring rather than funny.
Director Greg Araki and co-writer Kelly Sciortino have put together a young man’s fantasy (although many would draw a line at the sudden dildo scene). But it goes no deeper and its morality is bent. Comedy usually mocks norms or shows the craziness of breaking society’s norms. This just sets new low level ones.
This is a light romp through sexual fantasy which refuses to take itself seriously. Nor will I.
Con Nats, On The Screen
