MY AWKWARD SEXUAL ADVENTURE proves one of the best rom-coms -- with some terrific sex!

Is it possible that maybe the best rom-com of last year (certainly one of the best) has gone straight to streaming? Looks that way to me, and thanks to Netflix and Amazon Instant Video, you can revel in the charm, novelty and healthy, upfront sexuality of MY AWKWARD SEXUAL ADVENTURE to your heart's content and then recommend it to friends and family. As directed by Sean Garrity (shown below) and written by its star, Jonas Chernick, this movie is funny, surprising, sweet, moving -- and very sexual.

Even the plot and the manner in which our hero and heroine meet and bond make a lot of sense (something that often eludes many would-be rom-coms). From the opening moments (yes, it's a sex scene) in which what happens is some kind of first, I believe, the tone and situation are so odd but believable that the movie should have you quickly hooked. From there, things spin off and along in a kind of appropriately bizarre style that stems from character rather than from any typically weird situation (though many of the situations here are pretty weird), and this intelligent approach helps carry the movie through to its very satisfying finale and sweet denouement.

Mr. Chernick (above and below) is a Canadian actor (I don't think I've ever noticed him previously) who plays an accountant named Jordan Abrams, who's an attractive fellow but certainly nothing special. Early on, his best friend Dandak (Vik Sahay, shown at bottom, left) asks a young woman passing by to rate Jordan on a scale of one to ten. "Seven," says she, but you'll probably be thinking, Nah, he's a six, at best.

Due to what seems like a permanent falling-out with his significant other, Rachel (Sarah Manninen) -- who is shown three photos down, having an awfully good and intimate time with some folk who do not include her Jordan -- our accountant heads for a bigger city with a plan to make Rachel jealous, while boning up on his below-par sexual skills.

To that end the movie introduces us to its ace in the hole,a stripper named Julia, played by perhaps our favorite Canadian-actress-who's-little-known-down-here, Emily Hampshire, above and below. Ever since Ms Hampshire knocked us dead with her brief but unforgettable role in Snow Cake, we've been expecting her to hit one out of the park. She came close in Good Neighbors a couple of years back; she does so again, here.

No hooker with a heart of gold, Julia is still a decent human being, despite her money problems abetted by a distinct lack of organization skills, and when she and Jordan begin to bond, the connection is as amusing as it is real and quite believable. This pair makes the best pairing we've seen in movies in quite some time.

What's even more special about the film, however, is how it treats its subsidiary characters. Mr. Chernick cares for all of them, and I think you will, too. His treatment of Rachel (above and on the receiving end), in particular, is worthy of note: This woman is pretty severely problemed; even so, she's never beyond care -- or repair.

The other thing that distinguishes My Awkward Sexual Adventure is its handling of sex. This is open, free-wheeling (some male full-frontal, folk), and has quite a penchant for cunnilingus (shown above and further above) -- something I've long enjoyed giving, and have been amazed, even aroused, by the enormous pleasure this can bring to women. The movie treats all this sexuality with credibility, humor and charm, which adds immeasurably to the overall effect of this very winning work.

It's hard to believe that something this unusual and enjoyable (from Tribeca Film and runing 98 minutes) never made it into theaters across the USA. But you can view it now via Netflix streaming and Amazon Instant Video. You can also find it via DVD. (The lovely young woman in the photo above is Melissa Elias.)

DVD/Streaming: With THE TROTSKY, Jacob Tierney finds fun/wisdom in "the struggle"

Movies that offer a good premise -- and then don't live up to it -- abound. Films that do the reverse -- in which the premise seems a bit shaky, at best, yet the story unfolds well and the ideas encompass us -- are much the rarer bird. I'm happy to count THE TROTSKY, written and directed by Jacob Tierney (shown below), among the small, latter group.

That premise --  in which our lead character, Leon Bronstein (a wonderful match for the talents of Jay Baruchel, shown below), has decided that he is the reincarnation of Leon Trotsky -- would be grounds for "committal" to an institution (or at the very least heavy-duty time with a shrink) in anything approaching the real world. Does Leon really believe this, or does he just want to emulate his hero? Who knows? So we must let  the premise pass in order to get to the good stuff. Leon wants to change the world. But don't they all, those revolutionaries!

How our fellow does this, or tries -- first at his father's factory, then at his new school -- is the meat of this movie, which bounces giddily along, with scene after scene of charming, slyly political and satiric goings-on. This isn't nasty satire (Fran Lebowitz would not approve); it's more on the gentle side. (Well, the movie's Canadian.) Yet it does raise a lot of interesting questions along the way. Putting aside for a moment our notions of ego and power-grabs, for whmo are revolutions -- yes, like the original that Trotsky was involved in or the high-school version sparked by our young hero -- actually created?  The people, of course.

OK. Whether we take a rueful look at the Russian people today, or at the high school kids shown here, we'll detect a certain... apathy. So does the film -- which points this out from several angles: that of the "power elite," the "reformers" and the kids themselves. Along with the bubbly charm and amusement, there's enough to think about to make the movie more than just another high-school episode. And if The Trotsky never rises to anything approaching greatness, it is also never less than thoughtful fun.

As a filmmaker, Tierney keeps things bouncing, using editing and split screen effectively.  He's assembled a very good cast, too, some of whom -- Saul Rubinek, Geneviève Bujold, Michael Murphy, Colm Feore -- should be quite familiar, while others -- Emily Hampshire, Liane Balaban, Jessica Paré -- maybe not. Ms Hampshire in particular (shown above) makes a fine "older woman" for Mr. Baruchel. It's good to see this actress, intelligent and vital (who was so indelible in one of the finest Canadian films of the last decade, Snow Cake) in another worthwhile role.

The Trotsky, via Tribeca Film, made its U.S. debut at the Tribeca Film Festival, and is now available on DVD and/or to stream from Netflix, iTunes or Amazon.

TrustMovies owes a shout-out to his compatriot, Nora Lee Mandel, 

who recommended the film to him earlier this week.

And to all of my readers: 
May the new year be better than the past one!