






 
|
 |
Every Thing You
Always Wanted to Know About Sex*
(*But Were Afraid to Ask) (1972)
    
|
Director:
Woody Allen |
COUNTRY
USA |
GENRE
Comedy/Satire |
NORWEGIAN TITLE
Alt du
vil vite om sex (men ikke våger spørre om) |
RUNNING
TIME
87
minutes |
|
Producer:
Charles Joffe |
Screenwriter (based on the book by David Reuben):
Woody Allen |
Review
Woody Allen's Everything You Wanted
to Know About Sex, his fourth feature film, is a disjointed, erratic
provocateur varying greatly in both quality, relevance and durability.
Seeing as the film's main objective and function is to draw attention to
taboos and mock what Allen argues is society's contemporary sexual
oppression, whatever relevance it retains today is mainly as a document
of Allen's development as a filmmaker - plus a few genuine laughs and
fragments of great writing. As a whole, the movie will have limited
meaning or value for today's audiences. The fetishes discussed, and
ostensible controversy created by this, seems forced and stilted today
(this goes particularly for the segments "What is Sodomy?" and "Why Do
Some Women Have Trouble Reaching an Orgasm?"), but when Allen's writing
occasionally does reveal bits of classic comedy and/or satire, the
effect is intrinsic and timeless. The opening segment is particularly
funny, with Allen perfectly cast as a sexually frustrated court jester,
and the final vignette, illustrating how the male body works, from a
sci-fi/military perspective, is a real treat.
|
|