Captivus (2010)

Surprisingly incoherent and boring

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

Penile Captivus is condition where the muscles of the vagina clamp down on the penis during the act of sex, making it difficult or impossible for the couple to separate. This situation occurs at the worst time for Kurt and Kate; he is her ex, having been dumped as she decided to move in with her girlfriend Hannah and pursue a different path in life. Some emotional challenges sees her having an one-off with Kurt, only for captivus to occur and for them to get caught. While looking for a way to break free, the trio are forced to confront some home truths about their relationships.The idea behind this short film is a nice one because it offers the absurd for which the film to then deliver the ordinary but in a way that feels different and new. The ordinary in this case is a couple working out their issues and coming together to move on with their relationship, but the complication is that one of the couple happens to have her ex in the picture – very much in the picture. It never really does what one hopes though and although it works pretty well, it somehow lacks a spark or that bit of magic to make it really work. The situation arises too quickly and without basis that we are allowed to see, while the emotional side is a bit too corny and obvious. The performances are solid enough but yet never feel natural – Kate has two relationships in the room during this film, I have to be honest and say I didn't buy either of them.Nice idea and solid delivery then, but it falls short of where it could have been, the performances are performances (not people) and generally it is OK but no more.

Kurt pops round to his former marital home and ends up having sex with his ex-wife Kate during which Kate's body freezes up and Kurt finds himself trapped inside her . If that's not bad enough Kate's live in lover Hannah turns up Apparently this is based upon a an urban legend . I was under the impression it may not have been an urban legend and might have read about it in David Reuben's Everything You Wanted To Know About Sex . Regardless we're asked just to accept the premise of a couple getting stuck together during sex . Fair enough but the unfortunate thing is this premise doesn't really go anywhere and remains unexplored . By this I mean there's no real reason for the concept of captivus to have happened and you'd still have the exact same story without it as Kurt laments losing his wife to another woman . It does contain a little bit of humour and it's tastefully done never descending in to crude crass vulgarity which isn't too surprising since it was produced for Canadian network television but doesn't really go anywhere