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Sex and the Heath
SCENES OF A SEXUAL NATURE
Directed by Ed Blum
Certificate 15
IT is a topic that has kept the chattering classes intrigued, bemused and often outraged for many years. It has also kept the gossip columnists busy in recent months, and the Hampstead Heath constabulary tied up for much longer.
Now, sex and Hampstead Heath have been deemed worthy of a film and this quiet and thoughtful vignette of a day in the life this green space comes out favourably.
Scenes of a Sexual Nature is made up of seven different stories, loosely linked by the Heath, reminding me of Robert Altman’s fantastic Shortcuts, the deconstruction of life in the Los Angeles valley.
It boasts a great cast, including Ewan McGregor as Billy, a gay man relaxing by the field next to the Men’s Pond and wanting not only to indulge in a short bout of slap and tickle with a handsome stranger, but also persuade his boyfriend it is time they adopted a child and becoming a family.
Other familiar faces include Catherine Tate, Sophie Okonedo and Adrian Lester.
We meet Jamie (played by Andrew Lincoln, who lives in Kentish Town and knows the Heath well) and his wife, who are sunning themselves on the lawns of Kenwood.
Jamie is caught gazing at a pretty young woman, whose knickers are showing. Caught by his wife absent-mindedly enjoying the view, he is firmly put in his place for his lecherous behaviour.
Then we meet the battling couple, using the Heath as the tragic backdrop for the final throes of their relationship, followed soon after by the elderly pair who get chatting on a bench that affords views over Parliament Hill Fields and then on to the city, and the horny teenage lad hoping to meet a similarly inclined female for a behind the bush frolic.
Some tales are more touching than others – the couple who have just finalised their divorce, but are still in love with each other and are doing their best to provide a stable life for their daughter, is a highlight.
The cast sparkle, the topic is of interest to the entire world and the stories are well paced, well thought out and well told. It is also about romance – the Heath becomes a romantic escape from the daily grind of London life.
It is short – but that also lends a certain charm. The dialogue is neat and snappy and full of jokes, none of which are stage managed or set up, simply clever observations on how people use language like fencing rapiers to score points.
This is not blockbusting glossy feature. There is an air of authenticity in the film. In one shot of the Men’s Pond, the former Labour Camden councillor and party whip at the Town Hall Dermot Greene is clearly spotted enjoying his daily dip.
But the real star is the Heath in all its August finery. The wind gently ripples across the uncut grass, the blue skies give the viewer a quick reminder of the summer just gone, and picnickers loll, seduced by the heat.
No wonder their thoughts turn to love – there can be no lovelier place to relax.
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