ScreenFish

where faith and film are intertwined

Taylour Paige

Sharp Stick: Sex and Sensibility

In?Sharp Stick, Sarah Jo (Kristine Froseth) may be 26-years old but her sexual inexperience plagues her mind. Living at home with her mother (Jennifer Jason Leigh) and her sister, Treina (Taylour Paige), Sarah Jo has been raised in a home that has honest conversations about sexuality that many families are unwilling to have. However, this also leaves Sarah Jo feeling as though she?s missing out. When she begins an intense affair with the father of the child that she cares for (Jon Bernthal), Sarah Jo begins a personal awakening. But when the relationship begins to unravel, she also begins a heart-breaking emotional journey as she attempts to course correct her inexperience in the bedroom.

Led by a brave performance by Froseth, Sharp Stick is an unflinching portrait of modern sexuality and the pressure that we put on ourselves because of it. While the term ?coming-of-age tale? feels clich?, it is also an accurate description. Growing up in a family that speaks openly about sexuality, Sarah Jo believes that she has been missing out on an integral part of life. As a result, Sarah Jo attempts to mold herself into what she believes is every man?s desire. From watching pornography to becoming open to all types of sexual activity, Sarah Jo sees these opportunities as research into the male psyche. 

She believes that her romantic failures are due to her inexperience? and she is determined to change that.

Sharp Stick is incredibly open and honest with its conversations about sexuality yet somehow never feels exploitative. Despite its multiple bedroom scenes, there is no graphic nudity of which to speak of. As a result, despite its openness about sex, the film never becomes exploitative. Written and directed by Lena Dunham (Girls), Stick is willing to address topics that few others are willing to engage in a mature manner. From sexual shame and loneliness to the notion of changing ourselves to impress others, the film unpacks the complexities of relationships and how to deal with toxic sexual ideas.

In some ways, it could be alternatively titled Sex and Sensibility.

What?s more, the film shows its strength in the way that it speaks about the need for intimacy as opposed to frequency in our sexual exploits. Without giving any spoilers, Sarah Jo attempts to learn as much as she can about various positions and experiences because she believes that she is somehow inadequate for her lover. For her, these are growing experiences. 

But for the viewer, it is a period of sadness.

With each hookup and lover, Sarah Jo?s journey towards empowerment seems to have the opposite effect. While she may be bolder in the bedroom, she also becomes much more emotionally isolated. Even though she can check things off her (literal) board, there is something missing. In this way, Sharp Stick does an excellent job highlighting the importance of intimacy and connecting with one?s partner. Here, Dunham reminds the viewer that there is mutual trust and humility that is present within the healthiest of romances. Whereas most films choose to glorify the candlelit rooms and rose-covered bedsheets, Stick understands that sexuality is much more than a physical act. 

It?s a connection of souls.

In the end, Sharp Stick may be a film that feels intense in its encounters yet it also becomes an important film in many regards. Dunham has always fought to empower women in their sexuality and she uses Stick to help stir up dialogue that few others are willing to have.

Sharp Stick is currently available at FantasiaFest 2022. For information, click here. It will also available on VOD/Digital on August 16th.

Zola: Strength and Power in the Sexual Underground

When the heat comes, what keeps you strong?

Zola tells the story of A?Ziah King (or ?Zola?, played by Taylour Paige), a Detroit waitress who also spends her nights as an exotic dancer. When she connects with a customer, Stefani (Riley Keough), Zola decides to impulsively join her new friend for a weekend of dancing and partying in Florida. Nevertheless, as they two women (and their companions) trek down the highway to Tampa, their weekend quickly devolves into a 48-hour ride with gangers, a pimp and an idiot boyfriend.

Based on true events, Zola is a wild trip into the world of Florida?s sex industry that?s filled with confidence and fire. Written and directed by Janicza Bravo, there?s a style to the film that shows off the skills of its creative team without ever losing its focus. Beginning the film with frenetic energy, Bravo emphasizes the fun and enthusiasm for her characters. However, as events begin to unravel and become more serious, so too does she slow down her pacing in an effort to focus the audience. Though this is an environment that?s often viewed in the dark, Bravo allows it to take place often in brightly lit environments. As a result, by not over-emphasizing the shadows, she never shames her characters for their chosen profession. To them (especially Zola herself), this is a way for them to express who they are in the fullest sense. (In fact, in one particularly interesting scene, the women pray together before going on stage, asking for Divine help in their ability to serve the audience.) 

Featuring some very good work from most of its cast, it?s newcomer Taylour Paige that?s rock solid throughout the film. As Zola, Paige owns every scene in the film. Carrying herself with a steely confidence, she remains a constant presence of strength, even as things spiral out of control.

Using her sexuality as a lens, Zola also speaks to the nature of power. As she spends her nights dancing, Zola views her job as an art form. Unlike stereotypical characters from the ?80s and ?90s, she is not ?working her way through college? but seems to genuinely enjoy the opportunity to perform in front of others. Every night dancing taps into her creativity and allows her the opportunity to reinvent herself. (?Who will I be tonight?? she asks herself.) For her, the pole is freedom and she carries this confidence into her everyday life, including her relationship.

However, when Stefani begins to show her true colours, Zola becomes increasingly frustrated with her. In many ways, Stefani is everything that Zola isn?t. Though she seems to have an adventurous spirit, Stefani is also out of control. Held up against Zola?s more reserved willpower, Stefani?s wildness borders on reckless. Though Zola never judges her for selling her body sexually, so too does she feel that Stefani is debasing herself for less than she?s worth. 

Most importantly though, whereas Zola is invested in a relationship that provides her freedom and independence, Stefani is being controlled by the men in her life.  Whether it?s at the hands of her pimp or her boyfriend, the men that she is connected with constantly vie for her submission to them. (?Who?s is this?,? her boyfriend asked, as he puts his hand on her chest.) For Zola, this lack of liberation becomes the most frustrating issue, especially when Stefani?s pimp attempts to break her into the same mould. In this way, the film becomes a testament to knowing who you are and what you?re about. Though Stefani struggles to make it through the weekend, Zola?s self-awareness gives her the confidence and strength to fight for her survival. 

With an eye on empowerment, Zola is an intense ride from start to finish. Fueling the film with vitality, writer/director Bravo has created a compelling look at the strength that it takes to survive in heat of the sex industry. As Zola becomes increasingly trapped by her situation, so too does she stand firm, even if the ground around her is shaking down.

Zola is available on in theatres in Vancouver and Montreal now.