EIFF 2009: Humpday

In a bid to take bromance to the next level, Lynn Shelton, from the Mumblecore movement, brings us Humpday an awkward yet hilarious sex comedy about two buddies who decide to make a porn flick. But not just any porn flick. To reclaim porn as an artform they will have sex on screen because two straight men having sex is “beyond gay!” Out of this ridiculous premise flowers an engaging and realistic exploration of friendship, relationships, sex and sexuality. The friendship between married Ben and freewheelin’ Andrew, played by Mark Duplass and Joshua Leonard, is full of witty, sharp exchanges which ring true as they struggle to carry through with their filmmaking ambitions. There are also plenty of awkward moments the best of which is a conversation where Andrew unwittingly lets slip about the project to Ben’s wife Anna (Alycia Delmore). It may take some adjusting to Humpday’s raw, documentary style but it’s worth it. It’s an astute, unsentimental and hilarious snap shot of life.