Fresh from Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues and TV's House Of Lies, Josh Lawson's ascending star may have spun out of orbit with this ill-conceived comedy-drama about orgasms.

As writer/director/co-star, Lawson drops himself in the middle of a multi-story narrative set in an Australian suburb where couples struggle with sex, love and taboo relationships.

Couples like Dan and Evie who are trying role play to spice up their rocky relationship, except Dan is too distracted by the mechanics of staging the scenes to reconnect. Down the road, Rowena discovers that tears turns her on and since she and Richard are trying to conceive, he becomes the unknowing victim of her abuse. Across the way, Phil adores his grouchy wife only when she's asleep and spikes her food to get her in the mood. There's a nasty undertone at play though Lawson saves the worst for himself as he wrestles with his partner's rape fantasy. This shocking miscalculation opens the film and could, maybe, make for a statement of bold intent. Dressed as an ongoing joke it's as hilarious as a fart in a shower because rape is not, never was and never will be funny.

Accordingly, The Little Death is a wildly uneven concept that attempts to lift the lid on suburban sexual proclivities through multiple conversations, Paul Haggis style. It's a strong idea given heft by catchy interstitials and a robust cast including Bojana Novakovic, Damon Herriman, Lisa McCune and Kate Mulvany; but it's not enough to overcome Lawson's over-reach. Apart from one story in which a signer acts as intermediary between a deaf caller and the phone-sex worker he want's to 'talk' to (warm, genuine, sweet and funny), The Little Death grows increasingly laboured while failing to address many of the concerns it raises.

With one or two bright spots, this is a mostly uninteresting, occasionally uncomfortable affair that is simply not as subversive, enlightening nor as taboo-breaking as it sets out to be.

// COLIN FRASER

Previewed at Events Cinema, George St, Sydney on 18 August 2014