Amy's Orgasm (2001)

Julie Davis qualifies as the female equivalent of Woody Allen in this spunky little romantic comedy about a girl who discovers the right guy while propagating her pro-feminist rant against the opposite sex. "Amy's Orgasm" breaks the fourth-wall so that the female protagonist addresses the audience about her travails as she searches for the right guy. The witty dialogue is pungent and the cast is first-rate. Davis juggles the duties of writer, producer, and director with skill and savvy. At 87 pithy minutes, "Amy's Orgasm" never wears out its welcome, but women may find its message and the protagonist's eventual hypocrisy somewhat disconcerting after the initial build up. Nevertheless, Davis is very frank about the perils of being a single girl. Although "Amy's Orgasm" contains no visual nudity, the content of this energetic comedy is risqué. Davis shows her character masturbating about her male fantasy figures as well as owning pornographic videos to help get herself off during interludes of lust.An Ivy League-educated, self-help author, Amy Mandell (Julie Davis of "I Love You, Don't Touch Me"), has just sold her first book for a million dollars. She is on a book tour signing autographs as she discusses her life with us. She discovers for herself first-hand that having more money than she knows what to do with magnifies her sense of loneliness. Secretly, Amy feels that she is a fraud because so many women believe her ideas about love. The theme that Amy underlines in her book is that women don't need men to be complete. Actually, Amy knows nothing about relationships because she hasn't had any relationships, much less great sex. Her well-meaning parents, Amy's dad (Charles Cioffi of "Shaft") and her mom (Mary Ellen Trainor of "Lethal Weapon IV") advise her to find somebody with whom she can share her newly found success and money.Twenty-eight years old, Jewish, and single, Amy has no man in her life until she meets a 37 year old shock-jock talk show radio personality, Matthew Starr (Nick Chinlund of "Con-Air"), who interviews her on his popular Los Angeles radio show about her book "Why Love Doesn't Work." Matthew enjoys putting people on the spot, but Amy surprises him with her quick comeback lines. Matthew and Amy embark on an uneasy relationship. Meanwhile, Amy takes a shot at her own kind of self-help by visiting a Catholic confessional and talking with a young priest (Jeff Cesario of "Kiss of a Stranger") who is turned on by her. One of Amy's naughtiest dreams is having sex with this celibate, stud muffin priest and we see them briefly together in bed as she imagines it. Amy has a love/hate relationship with her overbearing publicist Janet Gaines (Caroline Aaron of "Primary Colors") who constantly berates her for throwing away her life. At one point, Janet plants a big kiss on Amy before a book lecture and outs herself as a lesbian. Naturally, they have a falling out because our heroine has no urge to become gay."Amy's Orgasm" is funny, mischievous, low-budget comedy with loads of insight hidden behind its humor.

Julie Davis directs, writes and stars in this more often than not frustrating comedy. A self-help author(Davis) goes against the grain of a book that skyrocketed her to fame. She convincingly writes about why love does not work; because love is just dressed up sex. Hasn't sex always been about command and power? Probably too educated for her own good...the young writer finds herself falling for a radio shock-jock(Nick Chinlund)with a well known reputation for his four month romances with cover girls and air heads he interviews on his show. The dream/fantasy scenes if not titillating can easily become frustrating. The young woman fends off her publicist's(Caroline Aaron) lesbian advances. And confessions to her foul-mouthed priest(Jeff Cesario)are actually entertaining. This movie is like waiting for that kiss at the end of a date...and it doesn't come.

I expected so much more from this film, as it was promoted by Sundance. But it is just another chick-flick where a strong willed woman realizes she needs a man to be complete and a loveless sexaholic man realizes that love is real. This film only furthers every single gender role pushed upon people from birth. It doesn't really do anybody any good, and it doesn't push them to think critically about anything. All together it was a disappointing and overrated film.

OK, kiddies. I first saw this film at a friend's house. We were listening to music, drinking lots of beer, and the TV was on mute but the closed captioning was on. I have to say that this film looked damn good from what I saw. I decided to rent it on a more sober evening. This film turned out to be the biggest movie rental mistake of my life. There are a few laughs to be had, and I really did like the cast; BUT THE STORY WAS RIDICULOUS. SPOILER ALERT!!!!!!!!"Women need a man to be complete"? I am no feminism-activist-man hater-girl power-freak....but c'mon. "Women NEED men and that's what makes us smarter"? I like guys as much as the next redhead, but women NEED men to be complete like men need us to change the channels. I mean, WTF? Women and men may want each other, and that's great (to me), but this overly needy film almost made me throw up. I didn't get this movie. First she's against men, then she needs them. Then she doesn't. Then she does. Then she is controlling and giving every woman a bad name. Then she can't and won't have sex and then she does. Then she is crazy. She even got a priest to quit his job and he was happier that way. Help?! If this movie comes on cable, see it. Then you can either agree with me or think I am a nut. DO NOT RENT IT. I'll never get my $4.10 back and I am sad about it. I should note that I expected to LOVE this movie. How disappointing is that?