My Year Without Sex

There! Now that we've got your attention, we can point out that this film contains hardly any naughty bits. MY YEAR WITHOUT SEX rises way above that; it's a funny, vibrant, crazy kaleidoscope of a movie that explores how hard it is to raise a whole, healthy family in our sex-and-sports-crazed, consumer-driven society. Natalie and Ross are like many of us: a loving couple, the middle-class owners of a colorful house that's too small and full of far too much stuff. They have two smart kids, obsessed like all their peers with sports (him, 12) and sparkly girlie things (her, 8). Natalie is your typically crazed suburban mom, trying to juggle birthday parties, pets, Christmas presents, school, and lice – and she is vaguely dissatisfied with the results. One day, after dutifully having her Pap smear, she stands up, and BAM! – she has a near-fatal brain aneurysm. What follows is Natalie's year of discovery as she slowly regains her health while searching for new meaning in this glorious tapestry we call life. Director Sarah Watt not only draws full-blooded performances from her excellent cast; she's also a talented animator whose brilliant chapter titles warrant special mention. – B.B.