Body Shots

This is an old-fashioned cautionary tale under the glossy veneer of a sex romp. Much of the film is taken up with people talking dirty about the most primeval of urges, and the rest of the time they are practicing them. But the underlying theme is that sex--especially casual, drunken sex--comes with a price. It could not be any more clear if the movie had been made by some ultra-conservative religious group. Of course, in that case, there would have to have been a whole lot more euphemisms because the dialogue here is nothing if not graphic.
The plot, such as it is, starts with a guy trying to tap dance around his inability to remember the name of the woman with whom he has apparently shared a bed. It quickly segues into what is an apparent rape and then flashes back to reveal how we all got here.
Four women and four men all in their 20s are independently plotting their evening which seems to basically consist of mass quantities of booze, some lively dancing and a chance of a close encounter of the carnal kind. The octet gets together in various combinations and the games begin. As we start to figure out which one is which they rather annoyingly start talking directly to the audience, as if they were being interviewed for a documentary.
Director Michael Cristofer, who made the stunning HBO movie "Gia," uses every trick in the book to keep things interesting, but the characters are drawn with so little depth that he only succeeds in distancing us even further. It is all just so damned serious. Even in the many steamy scenes nobody seems to be having much fun. It is a good-looking cast but it's hard to tell how talented they really are. Starring Sean Patrick Flanery, Jerry O'Connell, Amada Peet and Tara Reid. Directed by Michael Cristofer. Written by David McKenna. Produced by Jennifer Keohane and Harry Colomby. A New Line release. Drama. Rated R for strong sexual content including graphic sex-related dialogue, language, violence and scenes of alcohol abuse. Running time: 102 min.