A Funny Kind of Love

A Funny Kind of Love was never going to be your average comedy. This film takes an intimate if brief look at the sex lives and fetishes of various 30-something couples, punctuated by the mild-mannered new neighbourhood sex offender coming by and making his legally required introductions, armed with gifts of apparently nostalgically racist baked goods.

This brave comedy opens the discussion for some quite taboo kinks. Maeve, played by Bojana Novakovic, admits to her boyfriend that she has a rape fantasy. Rowena (Kate Box) finds out that she can only orgasm when her husband cries. Surprisingly, given this dark subject matter, hilarity does in fact ensue. Although that’s not to say it doesn’t sometimes make for occasionally uncomfortable viewing.

That being said, it’s admirable that this movie attempts to bring to light some of the darker sexual fantasies out there, in a manner that seems almost respectful. Maeve is not made to feel ashamed for her kinks, and despite other character’s embarrassment at their little secrets, the audience isn’t laughing at them. The sexual fetishes explored in this movie aren’t used to poke fun at the characters, as other comedies involving similar topics often do. This isn’t a comedy about mocking people’s sex lives, this is a film about relationships.

So if you’re easily offended, this movie probably isn’t for you. Any film that makes light of sexual violence always sends out a lot of red flags. Even though not all of it is strictly PC, A Funny Kind of Love deals with its subject matter with about as much maturity as is possible. That alone would make it worth a watch, but it’s also very smart, with a sharp script, and excellent (if a little fragmented) character development. Even though it’s not the most comfortable of watches, A Funny Kind of Love is likely well on its way to cult success.

Aidan Milan

A Funny Kind of Love is released nationwide on 8^th May 2015.

Watch the trailer for A Funny Kind of Love here: