Come As You Are

15

Sex – an activity that can be so easily taken for granted. Sure, there's nothing wrong with taking matters into your own hands and going solo, but it's always better with someone else. And regardless of how (in)experienced you are, everyone who has ever done it shares one thing in common – no, not an STD – the loss of one's virginity.

For many it's the most daunting thing ever; obviously for those born within the golden age of sex, aka the internet era, getting access to how it's done (and possibly even more importantly, how it isn't done – not on a first date at least) has never been easier.

But these rules generally apply to the only able bodied. How does it work for everyone else?

Lars (Gilles de Schryver), Jozef (Tom Audenaert) and Philip (Robrecht Vanden Thoren) are three young Belgian men with one thing in common, they're still all virgins. Actually, they have something else in common too, they are all also disabled: Philip is paralysed, for the most part, from the neck down; Lars has a life-threatening disease and is wheelchair-bound; and Jozef is only partially sighted.

They decide amongst themselves that none of them want to die virgins, so decide to do something about it. Under a rouse of going on a two week wine tour, they're actually going to a luxury brothel in Spain that caters for the disabled.

Their parents agree and everything is set, until Lars gets some devastating news that his condition has gotten worse and his situation is now terminal. Although the parents may have decided to cancel the trip, the three of them haven't, deciding that it's now more important than ever that they take their trip. So sneaking out without their parents knowledge, they set off in a van on what they hope will be a truly memorable journey.

boom dvd reviews - Come As You Are
Well this certainly puts an interesting twist on water therapy.

Come as You Are is simply one of those foreign films that is impossible not to love. It may involve three disabled characters, but their story of friendship and the desire to pop their proverbial cherries is a universal one. It's by no means a pity party at the expense of their disabilities; instead, it's a road trip for three sexually-frustrated friends who also happen to be disabled.

Director Geoffrey Enthoven does well not to tug on the heart strings and keeps the story deeply grounded. In doing so, the film works even better on an emotional level.

The performances are strong too, with the three main leads displaying a wealth of warmth, charm and humour in their characters.

If you can imagine a disabled, foreign version of The Inbetweeners Movie, then this is the closest thing to it –although thankfully without references to 'clunge', which no doubt doesn't translate well, into Belgian or otherwise.

European road trips can often ended up being quite sordid affairs (see above), so it's refreshing to be able to describe this one in less crude terms as more of a joyous celebration of life.

we give this four out of five