You really NEED to see this film!, 21 Aug 2002

By	The Nocturnal Aerial™ (Leeds, England) - See all my reviews

Director Don Roos does an excellent job by sparing nothing and no one. The Opposite Of Sex didn't exactly set the Box Office alight, but its distinctive tone will stay with us for years as one of the best films in quite a while.

Christina Ricci plays DeeDee Truitt. This acid-tounged, self-centered and rude teenager makes the biggest impact on the film and she also narrates the movie. This makes us see everything from her viewpoint. She comes from Louisiana, claiming to have been molested by her step-father. But because of her self-centered character, we are never sure if this is true. She goes to visit her gay half-brother, Bill, who lives in the Midwest and is a school teacher. She seduces his boyfriend, Matt. She makes him believe he's the father to her child. Not the brightest star in the night sky, he believes everything she says and leaves his boyfriend for her (he's bisexual). Lisa Kudrow stars as Lucia. She is Bill's best friend and fancies him. They both say goodbye to DeeDee and Matt. There's trouble ahead when Matt's other boyfriend, played by Jonny Galecki, demands to know where he is. Bill doesn't know where he is, so he cannot tell him. With this, Matt's other boyfriend claims that Bill tried to seduce him when he was a student at the same high school Bill teaches at.

After that, you're probably left thinking that you wouldn't watch The Opposite Of Sex if it was the last movie on the Earth. But this is a film that you HAVE to see. The acting is absolutely superb and first-rate. Christina Ricci makes a convincing change from her role as Wednesday eight years previously in The Addams Family. While Lisa Kudrow is brilliant too. She also makes a convincing case from the dizzy Phoebe in Friends to an intelligent, yet wacky, Lucia. The film moves at a fast pace to keep you shocked and entertained. But I would say the film is at its best when Christina Ricci narrates the story, keeping you up to date. At the beginning, she tells us, "I always carry a gun. You should always remember that. If you're smart, you will". This challanges the audience into thinking they can compete with her. Yet you do actually forget she keeps a gun on her at all times because you're so focused on the film. Another sign on great narration is when she is giving birth to her first child. She says, "OK, enough of that". The screen is split in two. "Here's the rest," she says. The left hand of the screen continues the story, as the right hand focuses on a mute version of DeeDee giving birth - amazing and expertly done.

This film may not be the biggest hit ever, but at least it deals with real-life issues and is frank and truthful in the telling - something you don't see in pathetic action flicks such as The Mummy or Spiderman. The Opposite Of Sex is a film you will either love or hate because it's full of sex and swearing. So love or hate, it's your choice - I went with the former...

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