The Sex List

After watching "Bridesmaids" earlier this year, I was actually quite surprised to see a film that I usually would have flagged as a "chick flick" make me laugh and leave the theatre thinking I just watched an overall quality comedy. I always found that Hollywood liked keeping this stereotypical division between these "raunchy guy comedies" and "corny chick flicks".

The one point I'm trying to make here is that, usually, raunchy comedies feature male characters as the leads, and the female characters usually either serve as the opposing party to typical stories of bromance, or as the "background bimbos". But, after a while, as in any movie sub-genre or trend, clichés keep coming back again and again, the same faces play the same roles in movies that are basically carbon copies of one another, and, quite simply, it gets a tad old and the competent releases among that sub-genre become a rarity.

But what if these old clichés could be completely rejuvenated if the mold was turned upside down, and female characters became the leads? Well, trust me, this film is no corny romantic comedy, the clichés one would expect to see in a chick flick are absolutely nowhere to be found. Think of a cross between "American Pie" and "Superbad", with even dirtier dialogue, morals, and situations...with female characters as the leads.

The film starts with quite a crafty opening credits sequence, which quickly lets you know that you're being brought back to the early nineties (1993 to be exact). And, throughout the film, this nineties feeling is very well kept alive, with the sets, the costumes, and such. Good job on that.

One could argue that every character is super stereotyped. That is absolutely true. And that's probably the biggest trick that "The To Do List" is able to pull off : The situations through which the characters go embrace their stereotypical nature while constantly pushing both the limits of good taste/morals and of what you've previously seen in similar movies. "The To Do List" is not trying to reinvent the wheel. No. But it's definitely trying to push the limits in many regards. Where "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" got a bit sanctimonious at times, this film ends up stating that sex can just be a casual thing and should be enjoyed as exactly that. Where "Superbad" pulled its punches when it came to teenagers experimenting, "The To Do List" unleashed a flurry of hay makers.

And I'm not taking anything away from these two movies, I loved them both. All I am saying is, "The To Do List" qualifies amongst even the cruder comedies, and surpasses them several times in that department.

That's not the only trick it has up its sleeve though. Narrative structure is clever, with check-boxes appearing every time one of the "tasks" is accomplished. The dialogue is top-notch and constantly drew major laughter from the crowd. The cast is impressive, and features a couple of uproarious cameos.

"The To Do List" is quality entertainment that does deserve its heavy R rating. In the same vein as "American Pie", "Superbad", and "The 40-Year-Old Virgin", this film definitely doesn't bring anything properly new, but it does innovate by reversing the mold and putting female characters as the leads. To think the result would be toned down because of that single detail would be foolish, and just like "Bridesmaids" did, "The To Do List" reminds us of that. To be quite honest, I found it kind of refreshing. Add competent direction, a solid cast, and neat dialogue, and you've got a good comedy that's definitely not for kids, but that both men and women will find hilarious.

I think the reason so many people disliked this flick was because they went in with the wrong expectations. You hear about a teen sex comedy staring women and immediately people assume something more sophisticated and classy would be the by product.

This is not that movie.

This film is both dry and ludicrous, crass and hilarious.

Aubrey Plaza's one note characters fit this movie well.

What I liked most about the flick was that it finally gave a voice to the sexually confused teenage GIRL population. The movie was written and directed by a woman, and it's pretty clear when you're watching.

TL;DR:

It's not an Oscar winner, but it's funny. It's a very progressive movie in the sense that it reverses the normal teen comedy gender stereotypes and gives the audience an unfiltered and unashamed (however hyperbolic) look at female sexuality, insecurities and intricacies.

NOT FOR KIDS.

Role reversal!

Never before do I recall seeing a teenage sex comedy movie with a female lead. Normally she is the ugly duckling and at the end of the film becomes a beautiful swan. In this film Brandy yearns for knowledge, sexual knowledge. She makes a list, checks it twice, and in the end makes a sizable dent before going off to college.

Very funny if you can handle sexual humor.

I didn't know what to expect going into seeing this one. I actually never even saw a trailer for it, but I read the synopsis and saw the impressive cast list and that was enough to get me interested. Even getting to the parking lot I asked my buddy if the movie was rated R and he said yes, and I was ensured of this as the movie started and "Me So Horny" by 2 Live Cru started playing during the opening credits. The movie takes place in 1993 and is about a recent high school grad who decides she needs to explore her sexuality and makes a "to do" list of all the things she wants to try before losing her virginity. I graduated high school in 96 so I could definitely relate to the setting and anyone who grew up during that time will get quite a few chuckles with all the references. But regardless of what era the movie was set in, it would still be a hilarious film. Aubrey Plaza is fantastic as the lead and shows a whole other side than how April is on Parks and Recreation. The rest of the cast is solid as well, with Bill Hader, Donald Glover, Rachel Bilson, Clark Gregg, and Connie Britton. There's almost too many to name. But as I said in the title, this may be the filthiest teen comedy ever made. It reminded me some of American Pie and Superbad but this movie takes it to a whole other level. It does get a little graphic, though there's not any nudity which is an odd thing to say after saying its graphic. You'll just have to see for yourself. I think the ladies will be able to relate to the movie more than guys, but regardless, its funny for everyone. I think I heard more laughter in the theater in total during this than I did This is the End. I think this could be the sleeper hit of the summer.

What You Should Know – Set in the 90's it's believable that Brandy is an eighteen year old virgin. As a straight-A student she's always known what to do except when she gets the chance encounter to have sex with her crush. But she's devised a plan to pop her cherry by engaging in every sexual act possible before her first semester in college. With the support of her best friends and her slutty older sister, Brandy is well on her way from always getting straight-A's to having her first O.

What Works – The 90's soundtrack with all the sexed up songs including "Me So Horney," "O.P.P." and "Let's Talk About Sex." It's also fun to see Brandy check off each item while she's in the act. Her best friend notes there are things on the list that she hasn't even done and that's awesome. There are things on that list that I haven't even heard of and that's sad.

What Doesn't Work – The adorable dweeb looking to lose his/her virginity is a bit overdone, but it's nice that Aubrey Plaza has opted not to wear the signature ponytail and over-sized glasses. While she's the typical straight-A type, she's not insecure in who she is. Having sex is just another thing to cross off her long list of accomplishments.

What I Thought – Worth the Admission In a day and age where slutty teens run rapid it's nice to recall, not too long ago, when they didn't which makes The To Do List something you must do this summer. Keep in mind that while it's cute it's best to wear a condom; this is the kind of movie that is so vulgar you could catch an STD right in the middle of all the laughter.