Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot.

Body Shots is an interesting movie, one that takes a look at sex in the 90's. Not just the sex act itself, but attitudes towards sex, feelings about sex, pretty much everything that revolves around sex. It's also about drinking. Drinking and sex. That describes this movie.

Eight people are going to meet at a club on a Friday night in LA. Four hot women, and four men.

The women prepare for their night out by dressing sexily, applying makeup to perfection, and talking about - you guessed it - sex. Not to say that all four women feel the same about sex. Jane (Amanda Peet) seems the most conservative about it. Sara (Tara Reid) is looking for a rich man to hook up with - she wants his wallet first, and his body second. Whitney (Emily Proctor) is the health-nut of the group - it's unclear (at first) what she's really after, but we'll find out later. And Emily (Sybil Temchen) is more into her bottle of booze than anything else. Sex, for her, like the alcohol, will provide a much-desired distraction from herself.

The men prepare for their night by tossing on some clothes and talking about - you guessed it - sex. Rick (Sean Patrick Flanery) has had his eye on Jane and hopes to make a real connection with her. Shawn (Brad Rowe) has been hanging out with Sara, but he's a gentleman first and foremost, and she's clearly looking for something else. Michael (Jerry O'Connell) is the rich football player party-guy, just looking for a good time. And Trent (Ron Livingston) is the real odd-ball. His dress and mannerisms make him an odd man out.

As this movie is told in flashback, it actually starts at the end of the night. We see Jane and Rick cuddling in bed (still fully clothed). But they are interrupted when Sara comes to Jane's house. Sara's disheveled and banged up, claiming to have been raped by Michael. This scene really is the mid-point of the story. What follows next is that we rewind back to the beginning of the night and watch everything that leads up to Michael and Sara hooking up. Then we watch the effects of this accusation unfold. The hospital visit, the talks with their lawyers, and the way this one event draws a line in the sand where the women are on one side supporting and defending Sara, the men rallying by Michael who's insisting it was completely consensual.

In a divergence from most films that deal with date rape, we won't see what really happened. But we will see the event from both viewpoints. It will be up to us to decide who's right.

There was a lot to like about this movie. I liked that it shows consequences. Consequences of getting so drunk you can barely remember your name, let alone what actually happened last night. Consequences of having meaningless sex, that leaves you feeling more alone and empty than before.

I thought the direction was great. Having the rape accusation come first, then watching all of the events prior meant that we knew, in the back of our minds, that something bad was going to happen tonight. Had we not known about the rape accusation first, I think the movie wouldn't have had as much impact. We would have watched the first half thinking it was all about good fun only, not thinking along the lines of maybe things are getting out of control, maybe people should take a more responsible approach to their lives, before disaster strikes.

Also, they gave this movie a bit of a documentary feel to to it. Throughout the movie, the characters are "interviewed", where they talk directly into the camera about their thoughts and feelings of - you guessed it - sex. While it gave the movie a choppy feel, I thought was "different" and clever. It certainly gave us much more insight into the characters since they are speaking so candidly.

The cast was terrific, and all played their roles well. In particular, I liked watching Peet and Flanerly give Jane and Rick a very realistic feel. They truly like each other, and are the only characters who are not out merely for a good time. But when their friends become embroiled in a rape charge, it surely makes a relationship between Jane and Rick difficult, to say the least. After all, they're in opposite camps now. Without many words (indeed no harsh words at all) we can feel their dilemma. Kudos to Peet and Flanery for accomplishing this.

So, will everyone enjoy this movie?

Absolutely not! It takes a very frank look at sex and sexuality. Every part of the sex act itself is discussed. In a particularly weird scene, we glimpse inside an oral sex class. Yes, you read that right. Apparently there are classes for this???

While there's not a whole lot of nudity shown, there is a lot of sex shown. There's brutal parking-lot sex, kinky sex (that scene is really funny), and of course, all of the events leading up to and including the alleged-rape scene.

Finally, I think the movie's focus is simply too narrow. It's an hour and a half of nothing but sex. Hardly ever do I think a movie needs a few more subplots, but that's how I feel about this movie. Surely there must be more to the lives of these eight people than just this? That's what's missing in this movie. A perspective that shows us that these people are more than just sex objects. If that's not the case, it's a depressing peek into the twenty-somethings of the 90's.

I enjoyed this movie, and recommend it, but for open-minded adults, only.




Recommended: Yes

Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age