The Little Death

The French expression la petite mort (“the little death”) stands for the human orgasm. Achieving it is the declared goal of a group of middle-aged couples living their middle-class dream in a dull suburb. Paul & Maeve, Evie & Dan, Rowena & Richard, Phil & Maureen look like very ordinary couples. However, they have very unusual (sexual) fantasies. And their pursuit of these fantasies keeps them so busy that they fail to notice the threatening newcomer in their neighborhood. From dacryphilia (sexual arousal from tears) to somnophilia (sex with a sleeping person) to role-playing with sensitive contexts: The directorial debut of Australian actor Josh Lawson is a darkly humorous episodic comedy that explores hidden sexual desires – creating not only comedic but also reflective moments. Respectfully and without moral judgment, the film deals with intimate wishes, taboo-breaking, and the often bizarre paths people take in search of closeness and fulfillment. “Like in Robert Altman’s 'Short Cuts', the individual episodes are intercut; occasionally there are loose, mostly dramaturgically insignificant connections – for example, two female protagonists are friends. The tone develops strongly comedically, with serious undertones quickly, sometimes too quickly, leveled out. [...] Nevertheless, there are good punchlines, witty dialogue, and situational comedy. The actors clearly enjoy playing with taboos, and in the form of a shady yet friendly new neighbor, a touch of suspense also drifts through the film.” (Julia Teichmann, on: filmdienst.de)