Sex and Breakfast

With nods to such sexual odysseys of yesteryear as The Harrad Experiment and Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, this partner-swapping saga seems so stuck in a time-warp that it’s almost fresh again. Two couples—Macaulay Culkin with Alexis Dziena and Kuno Becker with Eliza Dushku—take the advice of a relationship specialist (Joanna Miles) and try changing partners to better their sex lives. At first the results bring excitement, but jealousy and insecurity soon quell the experimentation. Written and directed by neophyte Miles Brandman, the film is well shot, decently scripted and fairly hot in spots, thanks in part to its talented, attractive cast. This is a case, however, where one of the film’s main selling points—star Culkin, who has been trying to break out of his fondly remembered kid roles—is both a blessing and a curse. He’s the big name here, but with his baby-face, one can’t seem to forget his Home Alone days, and seeing him in provocative situations is downright unsettling at times.

Shelf Talk: Sex and Breakfast received a token theatrical release toward the end of 2007 and didn’t drum up much attention, but its title, sensual cover art of intertwining legs and videogenic cast could bring it some action on DVD. Besides star Culkin, Dushku (TV’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Tru Calling) has a fanboy following that will indeed follow her almost anywhere—particularly to a movie with “sex” in its title.