This Weekend’s Film Festival - Raunchy Comedies

With Sacha Baron Cohen's latest outrageous comedy BRUNO about to hit theaters, This Weekend's Film Festival takes a look at other raunchy comedies that are better than one might expect. There's a dimwitted Kazahhstani. There's dimwitted fast food clerks. There's a hapless 40-year-old virgin. There are hapless teenage virgins. And there's something about a blond. Warning: avoid this lineup if you're being treated for prudishness.

The Fest kicks off with Cohen's first big screen excursion in commando comedy, BORAT. Cohen mixes scripted humor with Candid Camera-like pranks and strings them together on a loose plot surrounding naïve Kazakhstani reporter character Borat Sagdiyev and his mission to learn more about America, while secretly wooing Pamela Anderson. Within the outlandish scatological humor, Cohen satirizes American extremes and prejudices from their treatment of outsiders to their lack of understanding of countries around the globe. As I said in my original review, "The main key to the film’s success is Cohen. He is fearless and his skill to commit himself 100% to his character without breaking character is amazing." Sometimes you feel bad for his targets and other times you don't, his ability to make politicians and averages Joes look like fools is unparalleled. Like it or not, he knows how to provoke and make an audience laugh.

While Kevin Smith's work has always had an element of raunchy humor, CLERKS II upped the ante, leading to some critics at the Cannes Film Festival to get up and walk out. While having seen the first film is not needed to enjoy the second, Smith does rewards fans for their commitment to his skewed world. Dante (Brian O'Halloran) and Randal (Jeff Anderson) have been friends since childhood. They're in their 30s and work at a fast food restaurant. Dante is getting married, but he has a secret crush on his boss Becky (Rosario Dawson). Filled with sexual and racial humor, the film follows its man-boy characters into advancing adulthood. Dante got engaged because it was what he was supposed to do and Randall doesn't know what to do if his best friend moves away. While it’s characters might not have something deep to saw, Smith does having something to say about the restless underachiever. As I said in my original review, "Most often films deal with characters reaching for the brass ring — Dante and Randal would just be satisfied if they could ride the merry-go-round for free. "

As I said in my original review of THE 40-YEAR-OLD VIRGIN, "This could have been the plot for an idiotic sex comedy, but it’s actually a well-observed and sweet look at a man who has a little trouble socializing and has put sex on a pedestal." Steve Carell is perfect as Andy Stitzer whose co-workers try to give him tips on getting laid. Andy starts dating single mom Trish, played by Oscar nominee Catherine Keener, and dances an awkward jig around the issue of sex. Supported well by Paul Rudd, Romany Malco, Seth Rogen, Elizabeth Banks and Leslie Mann, the cast handles the frank sexual material with humor and heart. Director Judd Apatow made a profound directorial debut, perfecting the raunchy, but sweet, comedy. Driven by well-observed characters, the film makes the right move by loving its sexually awkward lead instead of simply ridiculing him.

Paul and Chris Weitz made their directorial debut on the raunchy comedy, AMERICAN PIE. As I said in my original review, "Writer Adam Herz took the sex comedies of the ’80s and weaved in fleshed out characters that were common to John Hughes films." While the central plot of four teenage boys trying to loose their virginity is a staple of teen sex comedies, this edition tackles the issue with truth. Jim (Jason Biggs) is the awkward teen whose well meaning father (Eugene Levy) has some embarrassing advice about intercourse. Oz (Chris Klein) is the jock that finds his soft spot, despite the ridicule of his crude friend Stifler (Seann William Scott). Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicholas) is getting frustrated with not having sex with his girlfriend Vicky (Tara Reid). Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas) is an eccentric young man who likes older women. In between well written sexual gag sequences, the film watches its teen boys grow, coming to terms with sex and maturing into adult relationships.

THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY is of course the raunchy comedy that made every raunchy comedy following it possible. The Farrelly Brothers pushed sexual boundaries further than any mainstream film had done before, but did so with genuine humor and likable characters. The film started the trend of raunchy, but sweet, comedies. As I said in my original review, "This one has the female character not only in the title, but also in the heart of the story. It’s that something more that makes it special." Mary (Cameron Diaz) is a fantasy girl and men flock to her like kittens to cream. But unlike many sex comedies that came before, she isn't just an object to be obtained; she has feelings and desires of her own. Ted (Ben Stiller) had been infactuated with her ever since their prom date went horribly wrong. He enlists private eye Healy (Matt Dillion) to find her, which only adds one more creep to the list of her admirers. The film deals with how men fantasize about pretty women because of how they make they make them feel about themselves.

If you want to laugh (and possibly be shocked) then just head to the videostore, update the Netflix queue, check out Zap2It.com for TV listings, visit HelloMovies.com to see where to stream the films, or support the site by buying the films on DVD or Blu-ray at the links below.