Sex After Kids(Jeremy Lalonde, 2013)Canada

Reviewed by Jian Gedrick at Metro 4 Theater, Santa Barbara CA

“Having children ruins your sex life” is what a sex expert explains in the beginning of the film as if it’s some TLC special on relationships. The film then cuts to a scene of married couple Jules and Ben who are having a relaxing dinner with one another after having put their newborn son to sleep. During dinner Ben asks his wife Jules if she would be up to having intercourse, realizing its been awhile they’ve shared any physical intimacy after having a child. Unenthusiastic with the idea Jules suggests another night. To which Ben points out that it’s been almost a year and Jules sillily responds that he’s actually off by a few days and hours. Eventually he persuades her and after an uncomfortable, clumsy attempt they end up deciding on some other night.

I first thought the film was going to be a collection of comical skits dealing with clumsy sexual encounters because from there the film introduces so many characters. The film didn’t turn out be a series of awkward sexcapades and revolved around 10 characters apart from Rob and Jules the rest includes an elderly couple (Dolores and Horton), an interracial couple (Sean and Vanessa), a lesbian couple (Jody and Larissa), a single English woman (Lou) who conceived a child through a sperm donor, and a single father (Gage). The characters are either related to or friends with one another through a program where they bring their newborn children and talk to each other for support and comfort.

They all have the same problem they’re all sexually frustrated due to their new cumbersome lifestyle of having a child. Throughout the film each character tries to achieve having a successful sexual experience run into ridiculous and humorous situations along the way. “While Sex After Kids” kept the audience laughing most of the way I couldn’t really take it seriously as a comedic feature. The scenarios where so silly and intentionally ridiculous in the way they were set up I thought I was watching more of a college film project for a directing class. The absurdity in the situations were too forced at times, especially at the time where Lou attempts to be kinky by using a superior male masturbator and trying to talk dirty on a date when his date accidentally gives an unappealing remark about his genitalia  and refers to hers as “my gaping vagina”.

While I agree with the film that sex is a healthy, natural part of the biological clock, I don’t agree it’s the center of the universe when it comes to a relationship.  While this film is loaded with sex-related dialogue it refrains from going into distasteful territory. “Sex After Kids” is a film that isn’t embarrassed to speak freely about sex. I admire its audacity, but I found it too silly to enjoy. I didn’t laugh out loud during any of the moments, but the audience seemed to be enjoying themselves, and there were scenes where I could see why. I applaud them for trying to deliver a comedy on a subject that always seems entertaining to portray.