In The End of Sex, husband Josh (Jonas Chernick, who also wrote the film) and his wife Emma (Emily Hampsire) are excited for their kids to go to sleepaway camp for a week so they can have some much needed time to themselves. But after their attempt to kickstart their marriage bed fizzles, the two find themselves lost in a sea of sexual confusion. Now, with the clock ticking before the girls come home, Josh and Emma fight to amp up their love lives but also must confront some difficult truths about their relationship in the process.
Directed by Sean Garrity, The End of Sex is a fairly fun and lighthearted comedy about marriage and midlife. While it?s not ?uproariously funny?, the performances are solid, especially by Hampshire and Chernick. With some solid chemistry between them, one genuinely believes that this could be any married couple who have spent the last decade attempting to balance the realities of child-rearing, work and their own personal lives.
In fact, the best part about Sex is that it?s open conversations about the ?thing that?s hard to talk about? are designed to feel authentic. For any parent in a long-term relationship, one can?t help but empathize with Josh and Emily as they struggle to avoid the pitfalls of divorce or marital listlessness (which is potentially worse). There?s no doubt the sexuality remains important in every marriage but Garrity also acknowledges that our expectations of it need to change.
So, no. With its wild exploits and humour, The End of Sex will not be for everyone. But neither should one assume that this isn?t a comedy that takes its conversations about sex seriously.
The End of Sex is now playing at TIFF ?22. For screening information, click here.
