Alex Liu’s A SEXPLANATION goes to places pleasantly and informatively in a way that you wouldn’t expect when we talk about sex
Considering the perilous state of women’s rights and LGBT protections these days, the documentary A Sexplanation feels like a weirdly pleasant throwback. Director/star Alex Liu begins by recapping some of the ’90s-era abstinence-only videos he grew up with, but what he’s made feels like the sex-positive specials MTV would make in response to such things, reassuring kids it was okay to be who they were. That, of course, was back in the days when MTV had more on its mind than 24 straight hours of Ridiculousness. Everyone had the same basic cable, and to some degree we all consumed portions of the same media, which made such things more influential. Now everyone sticks to their own streaming services and news sources, and a movie like Liu’s must be made independently. And address the major problem with his (lack of) sex education: as he bluntly puts it, “I like dick.”
His documentary is unlikely to bridge the gaps between cultural attitudes and mend familial fences – the folks who might be put off by a naked Liu on the poster arguably need to see this the most. But there’s another purpose here, too, which is to help people who are out and proud like Liu still eliminate the baggage and shame about sex they associate with their upbringing. It’s unlikely to single-handedly achieve this, but it offers some surprising perspectives, made more fun by an affable, vulnerable narrator and retro-style amusing cutaways and animations.
It’s a style not unlike the re-edit Ben Stiller’s character did of Winona Ryder’s verite film in Reality Bites…though what played like an outrage at the time is now charmingly retro, and almost certainly an improvement. (Watching that movie today does not flatter Ryder’s character at all.)
Beginning and ending with his Catholic parents, who chuckle like Beavis and Butt-head when the subject turns to their own sex life, Liu tests the theoretical carnal knowledge of his family and friends. He then converses with many experts, self-professed and otherwise. From scientists who do MRI scans of orgasms to sex advice hotline staffers, Utah Republicans, to a surprisingly liberal Catholic priest, some perspectives may seem predictable, but most offer some level of surprise, and all maintain a level of civility one might not expect, if one is regularly on social media.
Note: it is entirely possible to believe civility is overrated in political discourse when the opposition appears to have an eliminationist mindset. At the same time, it is refreshing to see people of different perspectives placed in a room together who can have a conversation wherein they agree to disagree, and even find some areas of consensus, however minor. Such is how coalitions are built on individual issues. Or at least, it used to be. Both conservatives and liberals think families ought to discuss sex issues together, but the liberal approach Liu discovers during the course of filming is quite different than one might expect.
And then at about the 54 minute mark, you get a parade of nudity. Look, the poster made an implied progress in that regard, even if Liu himself isn’t among the naked.
Aware and open about his own flaws and kink-shames, Liu makes an affable narrator and an excellent interviewer, able to put his subjects at ease as easily he does the audience. While he definitely and obviously has a point of view, he understands that the first stage of breaking the ice is gentle hand-holding – metaphorically as well as literally.
