Friday December 30, 2005 SGN.org |
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Volume 33 Issue 52 |
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Wednesday, Jan 07, 2009
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THOSE WACKY HETEROS 'I Am A Sex Addict' is an absorbing, multilayered, piece of confessional cinema |
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| THOSE WACKY HETEROS 'I Am A Sex Addict' is an absorbing, multilayered, piece of confessional cinema | ||
| by Maggie Bloodstone
- SGN A&E Writer
I Am A Sex Addict The Northwest Film forum Jan. 6-12 From the B-movie title, you hope that this is a snarky parody of sociosexual mores along the lines of A Dirty Shame. No, it's autobiographical, so now you're praying it's not an exaggerated account of erotic conquest by some Jerry Springer candidate who's done it all, every which way, with a chorus line of willing fillies with brains and bosoms of silicone. Thankfully, as soon as Caveh Zahedi appears on screen, with that hungry-puppy look many maternal straight women find irresistible, you can relax, knowing you're not in for the cinematic equivalent to the Penthouse Forum. I Am A Sex Addict unfolds gradually and thoughtfully, with Zahedi journeying through several circles of the libidinal underworld like Dante without Virgil, the prostitutes that power his obsession lining the way, more casual props than enticing sirens in Zahedi's less-than-divine personal comedy. In fact, after about a half-hour, you're slightly embarrassed to find yourself wondering when they're going to get to the "good stuff". Of course, if you're Queer - and you probably are - there's not much in the way of "good stuff" here. But, you will leave feeling just a little bit superior to those poor straight men & women who are just so irrevocably different, how did they ever manage to rule the world and have the unquestioning right to marry each other? Not to say there isn't plenty in Zahedi's story anyone with genitals can relate to, but his situation is so - how you say - typical in its Venus/Mars dichotomy, yet unique in that Zahedi manages the well-nigh impossible by balancing both vulnerability and personal responsibility. He never paints himself as a 'victim', but acknowledges his own powerlessness over forces he bends over backwards - so to speak - to understand. All of which makes for one absorbing, multilayered piece of confessional cinema - no easy feat, in this era of contrived 'reality' media. Zahedi's 'addiction' comes in the form of a Paris streetwalker who attracts his undivided attention one day and who becomes an amalgamation of the classic virgin/whore psychosexual grail, with a resemblance to his wife thrown in for an extra mindfuck. This starts him on a 2-decade odyssey that includes one failed marriage, masturbating in every church confessional in Paris, sexaholics anonymous, one 'soul mate', drug-induced honesty, priapism, one 'true love', massage parlors, various forms of therapy, and lots of hookers... not necessarily in that order. There is a denouement of sorts when Zahedi compares his journey to the "beautiful song" in the Orpheus legend: the unattainable ideal that lies in the bottommost depths of the psyche. So, of course, he gets married at the end, and his actual wedding is filmed, but the sideways look in Zahedi's eyes as he walks the last mile convinces the viewer there will probably be a sequel. Zahedi's tale is one that could only come to pass in the mid-20th century, with Western culture experiencing a schizophrenic cusp period between several centuries of divinely ordained repression and the Aquarian Age of mystic crystal revelation. In this film, the strain to reconcile intellect and Id is palpable, as Zahedi and his female companions continually attempt the progressive path, only to run smack into the great wall of jealousy/insecurity/tradition/morality every time. This isn't so much food for thought, but an all-you-can-eat buffet. Seldom has the act of human congress appeared so alluring, infuriating, desolate, banal, and downright ridiculous all at once, and Zahedi's storytelling skill and willingness to expose himself - as it were - lift I Am A Sex Addict above simple self-indulgence. You may not exactly identify, or sympathize with him, but rest assured you won't feel like such a freak, with your own very personal perversions and/or preferences after following Zahedi on his quest for the fire down below. I Am A Sex Addict plays at the Northwest Film Forum, 1515 12th Ave, January 6-12, 7 & 9pm. www.nwfilmforum.org. Zahedi will be in attendance opening night - be gentle. |
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International Readers |
 
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