The Insert Shot: The Best of Sex 2011
By Tom Houseman
January 12, 2012
BoxOfficeProphets.com
2011 was a great year for sex on film. Even beyond the high-profile NC-17 release (which is itself quite a rarity) several films explored their characters' sexuality. Sex between straight couples, gay couples, lesbian couples, married people (not necessarily with their spouse), lovers and strangers, all of this and more could be seen in 2011 theatrical releases. As a result, picking a list of the best sex scenes of the year was quite difficult, and I had to include quite a few honorable mentions.
It's important to note that this is not a list of the “sexiest” sex scenes, but the best. “Sexiest” is purely subjective, and I only find one of the five scenes (technically six; I cheated) listed here actually sexy. But all of the scenes I mentioned are memorable, powerful scenes that enhance the resonance of their films and either help deliver the film's message or explore the characters' emotional development. Because I couldn't figure out how to rank these scenes - as different as they are - I decided to list the films in order of happiest to most depressing. For a year with sex scenes as diverse and emotional as those in 2011, I thought that was the most appropriate way to do it, and of course, when it comes to sex, the goal is always to be appropriate.
Weekend - Russell and Glen have sex for the second and third time
Okay, having rewatched this film, I really can't pick one of these scenes to be on this list and snub the other. This beautiful, sweet, touching indie film features the best onscreen sex since John Cameron Mitchell's Shortbus. Whether you're gay or straight should have nothing to do with it; these two scenes are about two people who are passionately in lust exploring each other's bodies and all of the joy that comes with the first time you have sex with someone you care about.
The film opens the morning after Russell and Glen's first meeting, so we don't see their first encounter, although from their descriptions of it it is drunk and awkward. As their weekend continues, their relationship develops, and it is through the two sex scenes that we see the manifestation of them growing closer. I hate to use the word graphic, because it implies a pornographic quality, so I'll say that the scenes are candid in their depiction of two men exploring each other's bodies. The first scene is still rather awkward, but there is so much passion behind it that it is still mesmerizing. In particular, I'd make note of the moment when Glen - who is not usually this quick to jump into bed with somebody - bursts into laughter. It is an unexpected but sweet and honest moment.
The second sex scene that we see - their third time having sex overall - brings with it more complications. Tension begins to develop between them, as this weekend is effectively a pressure cooker for them, speeding up the development of their relationship. This sex scene is them trying to set things right, apologize, let the other know that although they had just finished fighting, their passion for each other can trump any petty squabble. There is so much about this relationship-study that is moving and memorable, but Weekend's honesty in its depiction of a sexual relationship is part of what makes it so great.
A Dangerous Method - Otto Gross fucks the maid
In a film with as much frank discussion of sex as this one, there is very little actual onscreen penetration, and while one can argue that sex is not just penetration, that is the parameter I am establishing for any non-lesbian scene. But of all the fascinating and erotic scenes in Cronenberg's film, by far the most entertaining and memorable sex scene involves Vincent Cassel's scene-stealing cameo as hedonist Otto Gross. If Jung and Freud are trying to understand and analyze their lust, Gross is embracing it and throwing himself into it head first (pun certainly intended).
Part of Jung's inner-struggle during the film is his desire for Sabina Speilrein, which he attempts to control because of his marriage. This makes Gross's sex scene not only entertaining, but also a stark contrast to Jung's turmoil. While Gross is being kept in the asylum where Jung works, Jung comes across Gross outside, in broad daylight, having sex with some woman who we have never seen before and will never see again. I don't remember anything about her, really, except that I think she's a maid and she's definitely getting buggered from behind by Otto Gross. In a film where all of the characters take sex so seriously, this moment of levity brings with it a different perspective: maybe sex is just supposed to be fun.
The Housemaid - Eun-yi goes down on Hoon
The Housemaid is a remake of a 1960 Korean classic about a maid who begins an affair with her employer's husband. Foreign films tend to be much less prudish and more open about sexuality, which can make for some great sex scenes, but many foreign directors also understand the contradicting emotions that are often behind sexual encounters. Director Sang-soo Im clearly understands the complexity of a sexual encounter as taboo as the one he presents in his film, which is why the sex scenes are not just very erotic, but totally fascinating.
Any sexual encounter can be complicated, but when there is a power disparity between the two people involved, it gets very messy. For the wealthy Hoon and the poor Eun-yi, class difference is a factor that is clearly on both of their minds. Hoon has all of the power in the situation, especially since he can fire Eun-yi at any time. This is why he instigates the affair, and why he moves his hands on Eun-yi's body as if he owns her. For Eun-yi the situation is more complicated, and we see in her eyes a combination of lust and fear, because she knows there can be serious consequences to their actions. This massive power disparity makes their first sexual encounter into more than just a sexy blowjob scene, but a commentary on the role of class in Korean society.
Shame - Brandon recovers from his most intimate encounter
Few films have used the act of sex to tell their story as well as Shame did. I am sure that Shame will be remembered along with Leaving Las Vegas and Requiem for a Dream as an incredibly well-told and brutally honest story about someone powerless in the face of their addiction. Watching Brandon destroy his life is heartbreaking, and turns what should be an erotic and beautiful act (as it is in Weekend) into a painful and sad moment of a junkie getting his fix. Yes, there were many powerful sex scenes in Shame, some of them sexy, some of them just depressing. But looking back, there is one act of fornication that stands out above all of the others in my memory, and is one of the most memorable scenes in the film.
Brandon has taken one of his coworkers back to his apartment to have sex, the only woman that we see Brandon have an actual conversation with before getting her into bed. This is new territory for Brandon, because he actually has an emotional connection with her, something more than just lust is between them. Which is why it is so heartbreaking to see him unable to get an erection. Actually knowing somebody takes away Brandon's ability to have meaningless sex, and the thought of actually caring about somebody scares him so much that he can't have sex with her. But in the next scene we see Brandon with a prostitute, in the exact same room where he just was, having sex up against a window.
The scene is almost comical, because we see Brandon and this woman right up against a window, staring out at the world, and it is likely that a few surprised pedestrians are staring back. But the dichotomy between Brandon's physical position and his emotional one is clear: this is a man who can fuck a stranger in broad daylight where anyone can see him, but who is so emotionally closed off that he can't let anyone in to see the real him. Unlike Otto Gross, Brandon does not express himself through his sexuality; instead, he hides behind sex, which is why he can never get close to anybody, not even his sister.
Martha Marcy May Marlene
Remember when I said that not every sex scene on this list would be sexy? Well, this one wasn't even consensual. Martha Marcy May Marlene is a disturbing and mesmerizing film about a young girl who gets brought into a cult and later tries to escape. Much like another painfully depressing film released this year, We Need to Talk about Kevin, Martha Marcy May Marlene doles out information about its protagonist's journey in bits and pieces, leaving us intrigued and a little confused for much of the film, not understanding exactly what is going on.
The most fascinating character in the film Patrick, the leader of the cult, played with a perfect combination of charm and creepiness by John Hawkes. The way Patrick talks to Martha, whom he renames Marcy May, has a seductive quality to it, and we understand the appeal of the group even as we sense a dark undertone to it. But when Martha wakes up while being raped by Patrick it completely changes our perspective of what is going on. We see the beginnings of Martha being brainwashed, but this scene takes it so much deeper. What is even more disturbing than the scene is the way the other members of the group react to it. They see being raped by Patrick as a rite of passage, cementing Martha's status as an insider. Watching Martha's psychological journey both inside of the group and back in society with her sister is painful, and no moment is more horrifying than that one.
Honorable Mentions:
The Skin I Live In - No relationship between any characters in a 2011 film was stranger than that between Robert and Vera in Pedro Almodovar's disturbing film. To go into any detail would spoil this fascinating story, but suffice to say that the more information you are given about their relationship the stranger each sex scene becomes.
The Future - Sometimes sex can be awkward, and nobody does awkward better than Miranda July. Watching Sophie have sex with Marshall is comically awkward, but also heartbreaking, because we see the emotional journey that Sophie is going through cheating on Jason, her boyfriend, knowing how much it will hurt him.
Bridesmaids - Speaking of comically awkward sex scenes, Kristen Wiig proves to us just how funny bad sex can be. On top of being hilarious, this scene does a great job of giving us insight into how insecure and lonely Wiig's character is. Plus, it doesn't get better than seeing the absurd faces that Jon Hamm makes during that scene.
The Rum Diary - Who doesn't love some good old-fashioned voyeurism. Beyond giving us the opportunity to watch Aaron Eckhart and Amber Heard have sex, the scene in which Kemp spies on Sanderson and Chenault have sex in the ocean is a perfect example of the enormous class divide between the haves and the have-nots in Puerto Rico. Sanderson's luxury stands in stark contrast to the poverty that so many of the people on the island have. Plus, who doesn't want to have sex next to a yacht?
Young Adult - The whole time I was watching this movie I was thinking “please don't have Mavis and Matt sleep together,” because I thought it would feel fake and forced. But when it happened it worked perfectly, mostly because of how talented Charlize Theron is. We see Mavis broken, lonely, and desperate to feel loved, if only for a moment. After seeing her make one terrible decision after another, this one seems like the topper, cementing Mavis's complete emotional collapse.
50/50 - There are so many reasons to have sex, and we see an interesting one in this film: distraction. Adam is desperate to think about anything other than his cancer, and attempts to distract himself by having casual sex with a stranger. The awkwardness of the scene is a perfect example of the kind of understated emotionalism that Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays so well, as we see the pain he is going through without him ever making it obvious.