Most of the time the term ‘art-porn’ isn’t quite correct. It refers to explicit sexuality in films that are otherwise ‘normal’ movies, with the ‘porn’ term used because erections and real sex are normally the preserve of that genre. However, the likes of Shortbus, Intimacy, Romance and others can’t really be considered porn. Indeed, many of these movies seem absolutely determined that despite how explicit they are, what they’re showing must not be considered erotic in any way, as if admitting that would diminish their legitimacy (Shortbus being an exception, which isn’t afraid to suggest sex can be fun).
However, Noel Alejandro’s short film Thank You, legitimately is ‘art porn’, joining the likes of Travis Mathews’ I Want Your Love and TheBlackSpark Project as something that is unabashedly erotic but aspires to be more than solely about getting people off. The setup is classic porn – two men come together and have very explicit sex, with the majority of the running time taken up with foreplay, BJs and screwing. In other ways though it’s something a little more. It has a simple but effective plot, decent acting and a genuine filmmaker’s interest in lighting, shot composition and editing. [Read more…]