It is a little difficult to discuss a film where a word in the title is not one that personal sensibilities permit a person to utter or write. This is the film under consideration in this particular case is often referred to as ‘Y.P.F.’ or ‘Young People [the dreaded F Word]’ I know that this perhaps come off as silly but I do try to keep things as family friendly as possible. While the title may lead you to believe that this movie is little more than filth it needs to be said up front that it is not. The title was obviously done for a degree of shock value and to get some buzz. This film by Martin Gero is a sex romp romantic comedy than anything close to pornographic. This is actually a real respected genre for films that has been around for decades. Mainstream actors like Rock Hudson and Doris Day made their careers on this type of films. In more recent years Julia Roberts and many others followed suit. Of course what is considered acceptable in a film of this sort has changed drastically over the years. In the fifties and sixties it was all suggestion and inference. Then the movies were able to move on to double entendres but still things were rather tame. Now in this new millennium films are able to go where their predecessors never could. Gero creates a funny look at relationships using moiré explicit situations than would previously be allowed.

There is actually far more obscenity in a typical low budget horror flick than is seen here. They have far more nudity and of course the blood and gore. There does seem to be a persistent double standard that permits a great deal of violence but shuns the naked human form. ‘Y.P.F.’ has some nudity and sexual situations and more than its share of adult language but at least people aren’t being tortured but that is another story altogether. This film is rather tame by most standards yet its title alone seems to have stirred up a great deal of controversy north of our borders in Canada. There is a bill there called C-10 that has a clause in it that allows the government to withhold tax advantages to any film that they deem is unacceptable. On one side of the heated debate there are those that feel that the government is protecting them. The other side sees this as a means on imposing censorship. The film cost about a million and a half Canadian and made the festival circuit with only a limited theatrical release. As in many cases of such a furor most people who are against this film formed that opinion from the title and never actually saw the film. It is now possible for you to get this movie and make an informed decision as to how you feel about it. Image Entertainment has the DVD released for region one so give it a try. It is insightful and funny but not pornographic.

As the writer here Martin Gero doesn’t have all that much in the way of experience. He was a staff writer for the Sci-Fi Channel’s hit series ‘Stargate SG-1’ but this is his first script for a feature length movie. This is a very strong freshman work. Gero divides the story into basically five individual tales. Each one looks at a relationship in a different phase of development. There are the established couple, the first date, the ex-couple, the best friends and finally the roommates. Technically the last one is a threesome but more on that a bit later. The segments are all self contained; each concentrating on the specific circumstances and social expectations. All of the participants are in their twenties and very attractive. It is a modern film with a moral attitude that would not have gone over when we baby boomers were this age; not like most of us wouldn’t have wanted it this way. Each of the story lines is done with taste. The humor is in how Gero connects with the audience depicting what many have thought about.

Gero is also new to directing. This is his first time in the big chair on set. He had to make a decision on just how would be the best way to present each of the five stories. He could have gone with showing each one in turn making this into a collection of five short films. While that would have been acceptable to the audience he went in the other direction. He mixes the scenes together allowing the viewer to see the similarities and differences between the five sets of people. There are certain set stages in common to all the stories; the initial proposal, getting comfortable with each other and then the act itself. Gero combines them with a mastery of his craft that exceeds what is on his resume. It is funny because it rings true.

Matt (Aaron Abrams) and Kris (Carly Pope) have been best friends for a long time. Since neither of them is in a committed relationship they decide to become ‘friends with benefits’. The first scene with them is on a couch. Kris is insulting his masculinity as they try their first kiss. They break away immediately.

Andrew (Josh Dean) and Abby (Kristin Booth) are a young married couple. It is his birthday and Abby wants to celebrate it with sex but Andrew has had a rough day and is not in the mood. Abby wants it and she wants it now and is not to be denied. She talks Andrew into letting her give him oral sex but then Abby straps on a sex toy and wants to have her way with him.

Eric (Josh Cooke) and Mia (Sonja Bennett) have broken up awhile ago but still remained friendly. One night they go out to dinner for old time’s sake. Afer a chaste kiss and somewhat prolonged hug goodnight Mia goes inside while Eric just stands there. He is about to knock as Mia opens the door hitting him in the face. She wanted to ask him in.

This opens as Jamie (Diora Baird) is at the end of her first date with Ken (Callum Blue). She asks if he would like to come up to her apartment and he surprisingly declines. Ken does have a bit of a reputation of being a player so this is a unexpected twist of events. He wants Jamie to get to know him better before moving on with the new relationship. Ken feels that his age he needs a more stable relationship than the endless stream of one night stands has provided.

Gord (Ennis Esmer) and his girlfriend Inez (Natalie Lisinska) have been together for awhile now. They decide to invite his roommate Dave (Peter Oldring) into their bed for a threesome. Actually Gord seems to prefer watching from the side giving instructions to Dave on how to please Inez.

The sub-segments for each story are listed on the screen: prelude, foreplay, sex, interlude, orgasm and afterglow. Each segment is shown in turn cutting between the five individual stories. For those out to see this for more puerile reasons you should know that the first nudity is not for over half an hour. This is a humorous, often poignant movie about the intricacies of human relationships not a skin flick. It is amazing how well Gero melds the stories together so that you are so engaged that you need to know hat happens next. This is actually an excellent film and it is ironic that if the people who have rallied against and used it to help promote censorship. Perhaps they should put down their picket signs and try watching it. Image Entertainment does it again by providing a quality film that may not be for the whole family but manages to be a film for adults without being an ‘adult film’.