Scenes of a Sexual Nature (review)

It’s mostly notable for the astonishing array of British film talent on display: Ewan McGregor, Gina McKee, Sophie Okonedo, Catherine Tate, Polly Walker, Hugh Bonneville, Adrian Lester, Eileen Atkins, and many other faces that will be familiar to Anglophiles. Unfolding in a most leisurely way over one sunny afternoon amongst the rolling hills of London’s bucolic Hampstead Heath are seven not-at-all interconnected stories that examine conundrums of love and sex via elderly strangers who discover that they were once in love, a couple on a blind date, divorcing parents who seem perfectly happy, a gay couple contemplating parenthood, and more. The directorial debut of filmmaker Ed Blum -- who has quipped that this charming indie was produced on “less than Love Actually’s catering budget,” the film it is inevitably compared to -- this is neither as “erotically charged” nor “ludicrously funny” as it would have us believe, but it is full of pointed observations on human nature, and delightful performances by the entire cast. Bonus materials include a making-of featurette, a commentary track, and trailer. [buy at Amazon]

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