Shortbus

The gifted and challenged gather weekly at Shortbus, the exclusive New York club of the title, run by one Justin Bond (Kiki of 'Kiki and Herb') who's sucking off half the NYPD to keep the place open. Within this omnisexual milieu, people mingle, make music, play games and have sex. This starting point could easily have resulted in a depressing portrayal of egocentric people working hard to be fabulous and bitchy, or the film could have glossed over the bigger picture in order to focus on hot people fucking. However, the interwoven stories of the main characters draw us in. Whilst gently poking fun at twenty-first century hipsters taking themselves too seriously, or couples working out their problems New Age-style, the film also succeeds in drawing out the vulnerabilities of each of the main characters: the couples' counsellor who has never had an orgasm, the gay male couple taking their first tentative steps into polyamory, the dominatrix who can't open up to people. One or two less believable scenarios can be forgiven in the face of an ultimately uplifting story in which solutions are found in unexpected places, and even the most sexually adventurous turn out to have hang-ups. Directed by Hedwig herself, and featuring cameos from queer icons such as JD Samson and Bitch, Shortbus is guaranteed a cult following - one that's well-deserved. [Nine]