In the masturbation comedy “Yes, God, Yes” — a title that begs for an exclamation point — Alice (Natalia Dyer), a 16-year-old virgin and naïve Catholic high schooler, embarks on the road to solitary orgasm with more persistence than luck.
Primed by multiple VHS viewings of the sex scene in “Titanic,” Alice is experiencing urges she’s unsure how to satisfy. Experiments with a vibrating cellphone and an inadvertent dip into a cheesy AOL chat room (the movie’s setting is the early aughts) are frustratingly interrupted. At school, she’s plagued by a nasty rumor of her involvement in a mystifying sex act, and a faculty that aggressively polices impure thoughts. And in morality class, Father Murphy (Timothy Simons) unhelpfully compares sexual arousal to the workings of kitchen appliances.
Slight and sweet, and without much of an edge, “Yes, God, Yes” uses the pursuit of climax as an opportunity to take a gentle dig at religious humbug and holier-than-thou hypocrisy. At a lakeside faith retreat — recalling the anti-gay conversion therapy camp in Jamie Babbit’s 2000 comedy, “But I’m a Cheerleader” — glimpses of fellatio and furtive onanism lurk alongside the singalongs. Later, a scene in a lesbian bar (featuring a wonderful Susan Blackwell) provides a jolt of secular common sense.
Burdened by a silly R rating that may deter the very youngsters who are likely to enjoy it most, “Yes, God, Yes” (written and directed by Karen Maine) fights back with an appealing lead and an overwhelmingly innocent tone. In its hands, the pleasures of self-pleasuring might be elusive, but they’re never, ever shameful.
Yes, God, Yes
Rated R for a scintilla of vintage pornography and a whole lot of sanctimony. Running time: 1 hour 18 minutes. Watch through virtual cinemas.
Source: Movies - nytimes.com
