To start with, although I have no doubt that sexual adventuring can become a habit, I think that labeling it an "addiction" drains the meaning of "addiction." Nicotine is addictive, caffeine is addictive, and, to a lesser degree, heroin is addictive -- all are substances with chemistries that make human brains physically crave them. The psychologistic "compulsivity" is preferable, though it seems to me that compulsions for a particular kind of sex build up rather than compulsion to have sex.
The character in the movie played by the writer-director Caveh Zahedi has a fascination with prostitutes and develops or unleashes a desire to verbally abuse them. He's not exactly the bulky, looming type and he recognizes that his domination fantasy is more than a little ludicrous -- even with prostitutes whose English is less rudimentary than the one he tries it on.
Caveh -- the geeky character, whom I do not assume is entirely autobiographical -- feels humiliated by what he wants and seeks to annihilate his desire(s). He believes that he can sate himself and get beyond his desire to talk dirty to prostitutes. It's not "Lord, grant me chastity, but not yet" (this famous line from St. Augustine appears at the start of the movie), as "Once I do it, I won't need to do it again." The "get it out of the system" approach underlies many of the tactics he writes on a chalkboard.
The budget for the movie was obviously very small and in recalling his bumpy history of trying to overcome the drive of his libido, Zahedi frequently asks the audience to imagine something or another. This can be sort of endearing, but gets tiresome.
The movie is not even mildly erotic -- never mind pornographic. There is explicit talk about sex and sexual desire (which US censors consider far more horrifying than any amount of mayhem in horror movies...). Zahedi -- and even Caveh -- is aware that he is and has been fooling himself and is too harsh on himself for me to want to pile any negative judgments on his behavior either with prostitutes or in the twelve-step "sex addict" groups he visits.
The tell all (tell far more than anyone is likely to want to know) style is similar to that of/in "Borat," but less outlandish and less funny. Both have an innocence in their profound lack of understanding of themselves and the expectations of others.
He does for a time hook up with a woman from Austin, Texas who urges him to do his own thing and is willing to have a threesome with a prostitute (the attempt to seal that deal fails in very comic ways), but it becomes obvious that she is far gone into alcoholism, so Caveh needs to "get a better girlfriend" (that is really one of the stratagems he writes down, though I don't think it is after this particular affair fails).
Neither the character nor the writer-director seem to give any thought to where his/their desires came from, but does any of us know the answer to the why-question about the source of what we desire? even after years of psychoanalysis? (Caveh would rather spend his money on prostitutes than on an analyst, for sure)
The string music of the score is more affecting than Caveh, but I have to admire his chutzpah in making the movie, even if it is totally fictional (which I greatly doubt that it is!) I just wish that it remained interesting longer than it does.
Recommended:
No
Viewing Format: DVD Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age
Autobiographical filmmaker Caveh Zahedi has made a cult career of his unabashed willingness to be vulnerable on camera. I AM A SEX ADDICT, a comic rec...More at HotMovieSale.com
Autobiographical filmmaker Caveh Zahedi has made a cult career of his unabashed willingness to be vulnerable on camera. I Am a Sex Addict is a comic r...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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