Film Review: My Year Without Sex (2009)

my year without sex 3What’s all this about My Year Without Sex? Is that a new comedy starring Cameron Diaz and Matthew McConaughey? I was relieved to discover that this is a new Australian film and a possible contender for the best one of 2009 (not that there’s much competition, sadly).

Writer/Director Sarah Watt (Look Both Ways (2005)) has created a realistic portrayal of family life that shows a warmth and humour we have not seen in Australian film for a long time.

my year withoutsex_wideweb__470x300,0

Couple Natalie (Sacha Horler) and Ross (Matt Day) and their two children’s lives are interrupted when Natalie suffers a brain aneurism. Their tribulations and the ways in which they cope are at times difficult but this is in no way a dysfunctional family. Instead the film is concerned with the poetry and drama of everyday life as it is impacted by crisis.

Watts cleverly transforms ordinary details into finely-nuanced observations of character. There are some glorious, superbly acted moments in this film that capture the absurdity of suburban rituals and the beauty in small moments. Although the film has a distinctively suburban setting, it differs from many Australian films in that it is not obsessed with the way characters come up against society due to reasons of ethnicity and class.

My Year Without Sex deals with big questions but I would say it is a poignant rather than a profound film. Natalie’s search for meaning leads her to the church but ultimately affirms the value we play in each others’ lives.

This is a delightful love story about hope, endurance and the importance of family. Once again life in the suburbs makes compelling story material even when it does have a happy ending.

—> Interview with actor Sacha Horler {Here}

—> Interview with Matt Day and director Sarah Watt {Here}

About this entry

You’re currently reading “Film Review: My Year Without Sex (2009),” an entry on Australian Film Review

Published:
June 6, 2009 / 10:22 pm
Category:
Film Review
Tags:
, , , , , , , , ,