Ah, love sweet love. We’ve all been there. We make a promise to our partner. They know it will be a tiny burden to fulfill that promise and they lets us off the hook…sort of. In Jonatan Etzler’s Intercourse, he examines the awkward results of an unfulfilled promise.
In this Swedish-language short film, we find a couple in bed (Amalia Holm Bjelke, Marcus Vögeli). Very much in love, He desperately wants to make love to She. She pushes back because she is on her period. Passion leads to deal making, and He offers to give She 100 bucks to make love to her. She could really use the money and says yes. He has to think about the ramifications of his deal.
“She pushes back because she is on her period…”
With everyone on board the lovemaking begins. Post-coitus She casually lets He off the. Later at dinner, the check comes, and He thinks it’s a good idea if they split the check. And now things get awkward.
Intercourse is a simple and efficient story. A silly proposition is taken seriously. Its serious consequences lead to laughter. The situation is real—never rising to wackiness—but the entire situation becomes quietly absurd and funny. Amalia and Marcus are cute as the couple and you can see what they are thinking without having to say it. That’s good filmmaking. That’s good acting.
Intercourse (2018) Written and directed by Jonatan Etzler. Starring Amalia Holm Bjelke and Marcus Vögeli. Intercourse made its North American premiere at the 2018 SXSW Film Festival.
4 out of 5 stars
