This review is spoiler-lite, intended to give relevant info about the plot of the film without spoiling important twists.
At this point, I think we’ve all spent enough time thinking about the answer to the question “what if a guy and a girl switched bodies” that a movie would have to go extremely far left field to surprise us. There aren’t many surprises at all in Carnal Vessels, unless you count the always welcome surprise of being a nice little indie film that treats its topic with an appropriate amount of respect, art, and curiosity.
The film takes place in Australia, where Alex and Liv have a very fuzzily-defined “it’s complicated” thing going on. The plot summary describes them as two friends who realize they’re in love with one another, but the truth has them in a closer-to-reality ambiguous state of “feeling things out.” Alex has just had a dalliance with his female housemate, and Liv has a guy of her own on the hook, yet they spend late nights together joking around. The chemistry is palpable, but it’s clear they haven’t had a meeting of the minds as to what it all means. (By the way, I call dibs on “Meeting of the Minds” for a future story.)
And then they switch bodies. There isn’t an enchanted fountain or a magic fortune cookie or anything, they just have a very intense personal moment and find themselves suddenly looking back at their own faces. This might cause some aversion to people who require adherence to the laws of narrative, where all must be explained, but it’s not always necessary for me. I’ve often spoken about how there are Back to the Future movies, in which there is a technical problem to solve that figures significantly into the plot, and Groundhog Day movies, in which something inexplicable happens and you just go with it. The former is goal-oriented, even in its treatment of mental and emotional states, the latter is more vibes-oriented. I’ve written more of the latter than the former.
Upon realizing what has happened, the two run off in separate directions, with Alex bitter about the revelation of Liv’s other connection considering her push to define the relationship. Liv ends up spending time with her mother, a lonely widow who is uncomfortably drawn to Alex’s body, and Alex ends up encountering Liv’s other suitor James and realizing, after some initial resistance, that he’s not a bad guy to spend some time with, thus prompting some confusing feelings he approaches with an open mind — although James ends up being not quite what he appears, of course.
Carnal Vessels, while not afraid of being sensual with its characters, ends up being somewhat light on the carnality promised by its Cinemax-ready title. It underplays everything, which isn’t a bad thing at all. The two leads, who aren’t given a lot to say about themselves or their situation, can convey a lot with a simple held gaze, and the film is shot in a quiet, airy, suggestive manner. The pair end up somewhat as ciphers that viewers can fill in — here are a guy and a girl, both pretty and eligible, in this situation. You can tell they are specific people, but aside from Liv’s relationship with her mother and inability to drive a car, and Alex’s own occupation, there isn’t much specifically said by or about either of them.
Still, that light touch is the film’s ultimate strength as it draws you in and compels you to see more of these two as they explore their new situation. Having written this story, oh, about 500 times, obviously I wanted something that really felt like a fresh spin, but I am always happy to settle for a canny portrayal on film that makes no errors. And besides, Arnijka Larcombe-Weate, who plays Liv, is absolutely adored by the camera, so just being able to gaze upon her face is a win. True to its form, the movie ends on a note of weighty but earnest uncertainty, rather than forcing a Hollywood ending.
I liked everything about this film, from its ambiguity to its quirkiness (including a situationally-appropriate viewing of Plan 9 From Outer Space), and only wish I had gotten more: more time with the characters, more conflict, more action, and yeah, maybe more sex and romance. In terms of TG Fic Films from Australia, I think the grittier, chance-taking Pulse was a notch better, but this is more likely to please fans of conventional media, although they may still struggle with the film’s arms-length distance from its subject matter and aversion to the strictures of formula.
