The OH in Ohio Review
by Mark R. Leeper (mleeper AT optonline DOT net)July 12th, 2006
THE OH IN OHIO
(a film review by Mark R. Leeper)
CAPSULE: This is a lukewarm sex comedy about a
Cleveland couple in their mid-30s who split up
because they are sexually incompatible. Parker
Posey and Paul Rudd star in this story of two
people trying to find sexual fulfillment after
their split. The film smolders a little but
never has much fire. It has a few smiles, but
very few laughs. Rating: low +1 (-4 to +4) or
5/10
We have recently seen a comedy about a forty-year-old virgin. Now we have a film about a woman in her thirties who, though married, has never had a climax. Priscilla Chase (played by Parker Posey) has a marriage that is falling apart because of her overwhelming disinterest in sex. Her husband Jack (Paul Rudd) is becoming more and more frustrated at his inability to arouse his wife. Jack's frustration is becoming increasingly obvious to the students and teachers at the high school where Jack teaches biology. It seems to be particularly obvious to Kristen, an attractive student who had been steered from drugs to academics almost exclusively by her fascination with Jack and now has a desire to know him better. His lack of fulfillment and unhappiness lead him to leave Priscilla and take up with Kristen. Jack gives in to the temptation to have sex with his student while Priscilla looks to battery-powered pleasure aids. Suddenly Priscilla finds she cannot only achieve climax, she likes it and wants more of it. Sex becomes the most important thing in her life and she begins to explore all the various sexual avenues open to a good-looking woman. These include going to a bizarre class in pleasuring herself given by a weirdo played almost pitifully by an over-aged Liza Minnelli.
Freshman screenwriter Adam Wierzbianski's script is often humorous, but more often just vulgar. When the humor does work it comes most often from one of three sources. One is Keith David, playing a high school coach who is Jack's friend and confidant. He is probably under-used in this film, though his personality is a definite plus. Priscilla has her own confidant in her friend Sherri, but Miranda Bailey just does not have the deliver that Keith David does. The other source is Danny DeVito who has just a marginal place in the film until the third act. DeVito cannot help being magnetic. The film takes some odd turns that last third which is more serious and is as much of a payoff as this film has. Even so, the viewer is left feeling he perhaps missed something when the end credits roll without the plot being very much resolved. On the other hand perhaps that is better than using a pre-packaged and over-familiar ending.
For a film with a sexy theme the only visible nudity is in silhouette. However, the dialog frequently falls into the gray area between the risqué and the vulgar. This is a first feature film for director Billy Kent from a first-time screenwriter. It has its moments, but only a few. I rate THE OH IN OHIO a low +1 on the -4 to +4 scale or 5/10.
Mark R. Leeper
[email protected]
Copyright 2006 Mark R. Leeper
Originally posted in the rec.arts.movies.reviews newsgroup. Copyright belongs to original author unless otherwise stated. We take no responsibilities nor do we endorse the contents of this review.
