The Loss of Sexual Innocence (1999)

After the success of Leaving Las Vegas (1995), director Mike Figgis was able to finance his old script Short Stories (1982) with a sexy new title known as The Loss of Sexual Innocence (1999). Divided into several parts, the film is non-linear at best and a complete mess at worst. Nevertheless, it follows a long tradition of egotistical auteurs making indulgent films that dwell on their own sexcapades. The really good news is that Mike seems to have dipped his fig into plenty of fine femmes. Even the silly segment about Adam (Femi Ogunbanjo) and Eve (Hanne Klintoe) offers alluring imagery of both nature and natural breasts — not to mention bush and buns! The plot (if you can call it that) follows a filmmaker named Nic during different stages in his life. We meet him when he’s 5 (John Cowey), 12 (George Moktar), 16 (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), and as a grown man (Julian Sands). The latter actor gets to squeeze the peaks on Johanna Torell! In addition to a segment about Susan (Kelly Macdonald), her mother (Gina McKee) and father (Bernard Hill), the film follows a cast of characters from Flash Man (Justin Chadwick) and Old Colonial Man (Jock Gibson Cowl) to Mixed Race Girl (Nina McKay) and a Blind Woman (Rossy de Palma). If that’s not enough variety, the movie also includes Stefano Dionisi, and the naked T & A on Saffron Burrows! Although this box office flop was dissed by critics, The Loss of Sexual Innocence is your gain!