Sex Is Comedy (2002)

Director:

Catherine Breillat

Writer:

Catherine Breillat

Release Date:

5 June 2002 (France)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Plot:

A director struggles to film a difficult, intimate sex scene between two actors who happen to hate each other.

Plot Keywords:

Sex | Director | Actor | Film Set | Dildo

Cast

Anne Parillaud	...	Jeanne
Grégoire Colin	...	The Actor
Roxane Mesquida	...	The Actress
Ashley Wanninger	...	Leo, the first assistant
Dominique Colladant	...	Willy
Bart Binnema	...	Director of Photography
Yves Osmu	...	The sound engineer
Elisabete Piecho	...	Continuity Girl
Francis Selleck	...	Production Manager (as Francis Seleck)
Diane Scapa	...	The production designer
Ana Lorena	...	The make-up artist
Claire Monatte	...	The other make-up artist (as Claire Monnatte)
Arnaldo Junior	...	The chief electrician
Elisabete Silva	...	The boom operator
Júlia Fragata	...	The set dresser
Alfredo 'Alebé' Ramalho	...	A grip (as Alfredo Ramalho)
Rudolfo Santos	...	A grip
José Cascais	...	The property master
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Sandra Maia

Directed by
Catherine Breillat

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Catherine Breillat

Produced by
António da Cunha Telles	....	associate producer
Jean-François Lepetit	....	producer

Cinematography by
Laurent Machuel

Film Editing by
Pascale Chavance

Casting by
João Cayatte
Michaël Weill

Production Design by
Frédérique Belvaux

Art Direction by
Frédérique Belvaux

Costume Design by
Valérie Guégan

Makeup Department
Dominique Colladant	....	special makeup effects artist
Ana Lorena	....	key makeup artist
Iracema Machado	....	key hair stylist
Claire Monatte	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Sandra Alves	....	unit manager
Philippe Delest	....	production manager
Cristina Soares	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
David Santini	....	second assistant director
Michaël Weill	....	first assistant director

Sound Department
Laure Arto	....	sound mixer
Laure Arto	....	sound
Frédéric Attal	....	sound editor
Christophe Bourreau	....	foley artist
Roberto Cappannelli	....	sound re-recording mixer
Emmanuel Croset	....	sound mixer
Emmanuel Croset	....	sound
Filipe Gonçalves	....	sound
Sylvain Lasseur	....	sound editor
Yves Levêque	....	sound
Yves Osmu	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Joaquín Amaral	....	key grip
Artur Andrade	....	electrician
Arnaldo Junior	....	electrician
Alfredo 'Alebé' Ramalho	....	grip
Bruno Ramos	....	assistant camera
Nuno Relvas	....	assistant camera
Benoît Rizzoti	....	assistant camera
Nuno Silva	....	assistant camera

Editorial Department
Christophe Bousquet	....	color timer
Pedro Marques	....	assistant editor

Other crew
Jean-Pierre Billard	....	administrator
Clara Cardoso	....	administrator
Sara Dantas	....	administrator
Fátima Ribeiro	....	script supervisor

Thanks
Frédéric Mitterrand	....	thanks

Production Companies

• CB Films
• Canal+
• Centre National de la Cinématographie (CNC)
• Flach Film
• France Télévision Images 2
• Studio Images 2
• arte France Cinéma

Distributors

• Cinema Mondo (2002) (Finland) (theatrical)
• IFC Films (2004) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Paradiso Entertainment (2003) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Rézo Films (2002) (France) (theatrical)
• Sharada Distribuzione (2003) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Alive Vertrieb und Marketing (2013) (Germany) (DVD)
• First Distributors (2002) (Hong Kong) (all media)
• Irfan Film (2007) (Turkey) (TV)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2005) (USA) (VHS)
• Paradiso Home Entertainment (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD) (VHS)

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for strong sexual content including graphic nudity and dialogue

Runtime:

92 min | France:94 min

Country:

France | Portugal

Language:

French | Portuguese

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Finland:K-15 | France:U | South Korea:18 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | UK:18 | USA:R | Iceland:16 | Italy:VM14 | Netherlands:16 | Brazil:12 | Mexico:C

Filming Locations:

Portugal

Company:

CB Films

Quotes:

Jeanne:Words are the best chastity belt there is.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Brows Held High: The Anatomy of Hell (#2.22)" (2012)

Fascinating insights under the guise of entertaining comedy

Another fabulous movie from Catherine Breillat, this time about the difficulties of shooting a sex scene in a movie. Using comedy – a new genre for Breillat – we get a backstage view of filmmaking but in documentary style. The character who plays the director in the movie is based on Breillat, the sex scene in question is taken from her earlier film ‘A Ma Soeur' as is the main teenage actress. But the film, like all of Breillat's work, is not entertainment alone. It is peppered with philosophical observations on the nature of sexuality as well as demonstrating a devotion to ‘purity' (as opposed to pornography) that is a cornerstone of Breillat's work and a devotion to real emotion. We see the director character harangue the young lead actress and actor to bring the best out in them, hypnotising them into the parts they need to play, bringing out part of themselves that the director can see in them but they cannot see in themselves until they achieve the heights of acting that she demands of them. She makes meaningful movies, not titillation, but she shows the work that is needed to produce this, and so gives us insights both into the (decidedly French) film making process and the psychology of male – female sexuality.