Australian writer-director Josh Lawson’s debut feature film The Little Death is a sweet, funny, honest and realistic comedy film that talks about love, relationship, sex and most importantly sexual fantasies among urban couples. It takes us through the secret sex lives of five ordinary couples living in Sydney and how they get driven by their fantasies for that moment of sexual ecstasy.
The film opens with the French terms ‘la petite mort’ which means ‘orgasm’ thereby giving you some idea of what you’re going to watch in the next few moments. However, it’s not merely about sexual play rather one of the very secretive human behaviors i.e. sexual fantasies and how widespread they are in the lives of several couples.
The Little Death follows Maeve who has this very weird rape fantasy she wants her husband Paul to fulfill that ends with what one could actually expect; there is Evie and Dan who are into this role play fetishism (sexual arousal by pretending to be someone else) which is hilariously obscure; and Rowena, who is unsuccessfully trying to be pregnant, discovers her arousal with her husband’s weeping.
Watch the movie trailer of ‘The Little Death’
There is more, as Phil finds himself sexually attracted to his wife Maureen only when she is asleep, thereby going all the way to fulfill his sexual desire. And finally, couple Sam and Monica get into a dirty and chaotic phone call in which the guy happens to be a deaf and mute man calling a video relay service to use a phone sex line.
The Little Death is purely fresh and has been acted well by an ensemble Australian cast. Unfortunately, I have not watched these actors before, but I can say that all of them are really great. If there is anything this film lacks, it’s probably a good screenplay to make it one of that sophisticated sex-comedy. But maybe the film never tries to be a sex-comedy or soft-porn, but just a realistic play of characters with their unimaginable yet believable fantasies.
Movie Name: The Little Death
Directed by: Josh Lawson
Genre: Comedy
Starring: Josh Lawson, Bojana Novakovic, Damon Herriman, Kate Mulvany, Kate Box, Patrick Brammall, Alan Dukes, Lisa McCune, TJ Power, Erin James, Kim Gyngel, Lachy Hulme
Release Date/Year: June 26, 2014
