The Little Death

Synopsis: Maeve (Bojana Novakovic) and Paul (Josh Lawson) have a seemingly perfect relationship until she asks him to fulfil her rape fantasy. Phil (Alan Dukes) discovers the joy of spending time with his indifferent wife, Maureen (Lisa McCune), only once he’s sent her into a drugged stupor.  Evie (Kate Mulvany) and Dan (Damon Herriman) are advised by their therapist to try role-playing to spice up their sex life. Rowena (Kate Box) discovers her husband Richard (Patrick Brammall) only arouses her when he is crying and Monica (Erin James) is on the receiving end of a unique phone sex conversation with Sam (T.J. Power).  As these five couples navigate their way to “la petite mort”, the French figure of speech for “orgasm”, nothing goes as planned.

Writer-director Josh Lawson’s debut comedy follows five interconnected couples as they navigate their sexual relationships in a kind of crash course in fetishes and erotic proclivities that at least for some might border on the offensive.

The Little Death opens on seemingly happy couple, Maeve and Paul, as they discuss the ins and outs, so to speak, of fulfilling a rape fantasy. The ensuing chaos as the hapless Paul attempts to satisfy his girlfriend’s desires showcases Lawson’s comedic talents both as an actor and screenwriter as he tackles what can only be described as difficult subject matter.

The lengths desperate Rowena will go to make her poor, unsuspecting husband Richard shed a tear also provide many of the film’s funniest moments as does the final, stunning phone exchange between Monica, a call centre worker for the hearing impaired, and Sam, the deaf man requesting she translate his call with a phone sex worker.

As is often the case with ensemble films, the comedy is uneven and some of the vignettes fare more successfully than others. In fact, Paul and Maureen’s relationship is downright depressing, the humour misses the mark and their presence in the film serves to perhaps inadvertently make the statement that a nagging wife can only be enjoyed when she’s out cold. The Evie and Dan storyline is more of a single joke that is dragged out but never really goes anywhere.

Despite its patchiness the acting is superb and Lawson's script never veers into the stereotypical as is so common in Australian comedies. Patrick Brammell and Kate Box shine and Bojana Novakovic deserves credit for bringing to life in a believable fashion a woman’s taboo fantasy.

 

 

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