My Year Without Sex

I enjoyed watching this film. I laughed and I shed a tear. I would like to watch it again as there are parts of the movie that are worth re-examining.

Set in the inner western suburbs of Melbourne, this film touches on many of the day-to-day issues that Australian families are concerned with. Whether it be paying bills, how to bring up children, career management and of course, inter-personal relations.

At an even deeper level, this movie examines a post-Christian society and some of the ways that people address the existential questions.

Covering such a broad range of issues in a film means that only one of them is examined in depth. What keeps a marriage together "in sickness and in health?".

One thing did get under my skin. The annoying cliché that portrays the struggling family as virtuous and their richer, flamboyant relatives as morally deficient.

When one enters a cinema noting that 90% of the audience is female, one expects 'chick lit' or a weepie. Sarah Watt is a great storyteller, but chick lit is not her scene. In episodic form, she portrays an ordinary family as they experience near-tragedy and misfortune, but come out of it with just a little bit of luck. This is a love story, and it portrays how a close family can overcome great stress by knowing love for each other. The key character is Natalie, played by Sacha Horler, a brave actor who can handle difficult parts superbly. Watt ignores the old rule: never appear with children and dogs. The children are truly very good, the dogs well-behaved. Does it help that members of the author's family are well represented? Look for 'Antoinette'. This is Watt's husband, William McInnes in drag. Another important character is Margaret, the one-time junkie pop singer, who essays a change as a priest, then surprises us all in the end. One hopes that this film reaches the rest of the world uncut. There is some strong language, but it belongs. Watt cleverly inserts the odd 'plant'. We wait in vain for the realization - Watt is an animator after all. And, yes, the audience came out smiling.

The film explores how people go about making sense of their lives. Despite the reality of life portrayed in the film, Sarah Watt has managed to put together a story that is incredibly funny as well as having a strong emotional resonance.

The "truth" of the film comes from the way by which audiences will be able to relate their own lives with the everyday Australian characters, partly because of the brilliant performances of the cast, perhaps more so because of the writing, direction and editing. There was nothing throughout the entire film that broke me out of the narrative. A special mention must go to Sacha Horler, who I have not seen in anything since Praise - she is just amazing - although the whole cast work exceptionally well.

I loved Sarah Watt's previous film Look Both Ways, which like My Year Without Sex also made me laugh and cry, so I had some expectations going into this film. Expectations can be dangerous, as if the experience of watching the film does not live up to them then they can be crushed. But the blend of ideas, acting, direction to create consummate storytelling meant that I was thoroughly entertained.

Not many laughs from the audience at tonight's screening in Sydney. I started losing interest in this film around the time it got to 'May'.

This is a mildly amusing comic drama about an average Aussie family and their year from hell. I found the film neither funny nor particularly moving. You'd think it would be considering it is about a woman battling back from an aneurysm and having huge doubts about her faith, relationship etc.

The script just isn't polished enough and secondary characters (the blokey brother in law and his trophy wife etc) were like cardboard cutouts.

The photography is unimaginative and the film seems dated, like it was made for television ten years ago.

Disappointing. Like many Aussie films, this one needed a few more drafts done before it was given the green light.

I attended the North American Premiere of "My Year Without Sex" at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival. The obviously titillating and suggestive title may be a bit misleading, but writer/director Sarah Watt has hit the jackpot with this sweet little Australian dramedy. After a brain aneurysm, Natalie (Sacha Horler) is advised by her doctor to avoid certain risky behaviors. Mayhem ensues. The script is sexy without being too bawdy, but I'd recommend it for ages 14+ and there are some Aussie references that may get past viewers. I loved the cute soundtrack and clever structure, with title cards presenting each month of the year as a separate segment with its own sexually suggestive title (Foreplay, Going Down...). But strong performances make this film worth seeing.