Virtual Sexuality

Laura Fraser (II)
Rupert Penry-Jones
Luke de Lacey
Kieran O'Brien
Steve John Shepherd

Director

Nick Hurran

Justine (the delightful Laura Fraser), the heroine of Virtual Sexuality, thinks her life is ruined because she's a 17-year-old virgin. Through her friend Chas (Luke DeLacey), she tries to manoeuvre a cute but boorish athlete into a date but he stands her up. Despondent, she and Chas go to a virtual reality exhibition, which features a virtual make-over machine--but instead of modelling a different version of herself, Justine creates a 3-D image of her perfect man. Due to a freak accident, Justine suddenly finds herself inside that male body--she's become her own ideal mate (Rupert Penry-Jones)--and the life of a boy isn't the one she wants to live. There aren't any stunning revelations about gender roles here as Chas teaches "Jake"--the name the male Justine gives herself--but there is a sweet playfulness to how Jake interacts with his body and the rest of the world. Fraser and Penry-Jones are perfectly matched; they do a superb job of seeming like the same personality in two different bodies. Based on the novel by Chloë Rayban, this charming British comedy takes an unexpected perspective on sex. --Bret Fetzer, Amazon.com