Out of Joyride To Oppenheimer, Every time a new film dares to show sex on screen, there are swaths of it complaints At social media about how inappropriate, cheesy and completely unnecessary these moments are. Come into this fight Cat loverwhich features a pivotal sex scene that’s guaranteed to get people talking.
Sex scenes in movies do so much more than just provide cheap thrills and spills – not that there’s anything wrong with either! The sex scene in Cat lover drives the plot forward, tells us how the characters deal with the most intimate situations, and explores the shifting power dynamics between the characters.
If ever a sex scene was made to silence dissenting voices, you’ll find it here Cat lover.
What is wrong with Cat lover‘s sex scene?
Photo credit: Rialto Pictures
Director: Susanna Fogel, Cat lover is based on the extremely popular New Yorker Story book of the same name written by Kristen Roupenian. Cat lover It’s about Margot (Emilia Jones), a 20-year-old second-year student who forms an unlikely relationship with Robert (Nicholas Braun), an older man who flirts with her at the cinema where she works. While the film itself is shaky, the best scene occurs after a long, awkward date between Margot and Robert. And what better way to end the evening than with a long, embarrassing sex scene?
As Robert states “Enjoy the silence” by Depeche Mode (certainly a great song, but the lyrics “Words are very unnecessary/They can only do harm” are a red flag for a first sexual encounter), Margot scans the room and notices piles of dirty laundry and a used jar of something Cola in it – not exactly the kind of thing that causes arousal. Then Margot’s inner thoughts are brilliantly revealed by another version of Margot standing by the bed and watching. “Do we really want to do this?” she asks herself. “We’ve done that before,” Margot replies.
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It’s abundantly clear that Margot doesn’t really want to have sex with Robert and is engaging in it out of a sense of duty. This stems from a larger problem stemming from the gender dynamics of heterosexual interactions, society’s prioritization of male pleasure, and the fact that Margot considers his pleasure more important than her own. “It’s just easier to get it over with,” she justifies herself.
Here Margot accepts that this is “unwanted sex” – consensual but not desired. Margot decides to sleep with Robert because she sees it as an act of politeness, but also because she believes that by doing so she will avoid a worse fate. Instead of focusing on the moment – Robert is on top of her, kissing her with unimaginably poor technique – Margot tries to focus on a moment earlier in her relationship with Robert, when he kissed her tenderly on the forehead. It’s a fascinating tactic: Margot tries to remember a moment of real intimacy from the past few weeks, searching the recesses of her mind for something she did like Robert, since everything currently happening is having the opposite effect. Margot is so distant from the idea of having sex with Robert that she tries to negotiate with herself about why she’s there in the first place.
As Robert turns Margot over so she is on top, the camera closes in on their faces: Robert is in the moment, but Margot is distant and visibly unhappy. She notices the glow-in-the-dark stars on Robert’s ceiling and focuses on them while mentally distancing herself from sex. The stars give her a short respite from physical and mental discomfort. As the camera closes in on Margot’s face, it feels as if Margot is leaving her physical self. This is made clear by the fact that her face is above the stars and is soon joined by the other version of Margot. They both watch them having sex and realize that it has to end.
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Cat loverThe sex scene is an uncomfortable stroke of genius.
Photo credit: Rialto Pictures
Cat lover explores the performative nature of sex. Sex is a performance in many ways; We make noises, exclamations and movements to arouse not only ourselves but also our partners. However, great sex happens when this element comes naturally, rather than being tried as a way to reach climax quicker, which is the case here. The lack of communication implied by the use of “Enjoy the Silence” makes it virtually impossible for Margot to enjoy sex with Robert, as she feels she cannot communicate her honest feelings without consequences. Good sex also requires feeling safe with your partner – an important aspect that Margot does not experience. Margot starts acting like an enthusiastic participant, practically cheering Robert on to finish, and so her sad experience finally comes to an end. In fact, it works and it’s finally over. “This is the worst life decision I have ever made,” she says to herself.
The sex scene in Cat lover explores some really unpleasant ideas, like how people are capable of mental gymnastics, justifying bad situations in the moment, redefining them in real time to make them more palatable – and trying to find a way to find comfort with miserable circumstances when they enter. It also questions our abilities on a physical level and how far we are willing to do things and risk self-harm to appease another person.
When Robert exclaims to Margot that he’s “always wanted to fuck a girl with nice tits,” he means it as the highest compliment, even though the sentence makes Margot sick, sounding like something out of bad porn. Robert seems to be enjoying the best sex of his life, while Margot is so unhappy that she literally distances herself from her. The scene highlights the value of communication in intimacy – if you can’t effectively express your honest desires, you won’t have a pleasant experience. But more importantly, Cat lover explored Why This communication barrier is there: there is no trust between the two. While Robert experiences his greatest experience, Margot experiences her worst. It also explores why people might choose to have sex, offering an answer that is far more delicate and compelling than simple desire.
Margot has sex with Robert, not because she wants to, but because she fears that not having sex with him would disappoint him. But it’s not just the disappointment that Margot fears – it’s also that Robert’s disappointment could turn into something more frightening; more violent. Sex is a defense mechanism here. In this complicated sequence, all of the previously hinted imbalances in their relationship become clear, while also laying the groundwork for a dramatic breakdown in their relationship.
Cat lover explores these complex ideas thoughtfully and intelligently without blaming Margot for the situation she finds herself in. Instead, the film uses sex to explore dark power dynamics and the fear that naturally comes with vulnerability. Some might consider the third act of Cat lover It seems like a jarring change – both in tone and in the short story’s inspiration – but the unpredictability and discomfort of this sequence actually makes it perfect. It’s a thought-provoking scene and shows how important a great sex scene can be to cinema.
Cat person is playing in the cinema now.
Topics of sex & relationships
Source : mashable.com