Review: Provocative and sly, 'I Want Your Sex' celebrates the fine art of sloppy mistakes

This is read by an automated voice.Please report any issues or inconsistencies here.

See more from the L.A.Times in Google Search.

Set us as preferred A century of screen vixens reaches its climax with Olivia Wilde playing an X-rated shock artist who seduces her assistant in Gregg Araki’s devilish caper “I Want Your Sex.” Her Erika Tracy has Gloria Swanson’s hunger for male saps, Greta Garbo’s carriage, Marlene Dietrich’s disdain and Barbara Stanwyck’s wiles.The hair and makeup teams emphasize Wilde’s resemblance to those old school maneaters while keeping her look cutting-edge.From the opening shot of a body in a Los Angeles pool, Araki and co-screenwriter Karley Sciortino tickle us with their 21st century send-up of “Sunset Boulevard.” But Araki can go where Code-era movies couldn’t: into the bedroom where Erika handcuffs, costumes and spanks her latest conquest, 23-year-old UCLA graduate Elliot (Cooper Hoffman).

To the director’s glee, modern audiences may be more uncomfortable with Erika and Elliot’s lopsided power dynamic than the sight of sweet-faced Hoffman in a pig mask and panties.Araki sprang out of the New Queer Cinema of the ’90s.His first film in 12 years itches to confront today’s moral limits.

Summoning Elliot into her office, Erika first checks that her employee has signed his NDA, then prods to see whether he’s one of the “woke police,” wearisome words no matter who says them.(Araki includes sarcastic wraparound scenes of Elliot struggling to explain their affair to the real police, two stony detectives played by Johnny Knoxville and Margaret Cho.) Movies Queer indie filmmaker Gregg Araki returns with ‘I Want Your Sex,’ starring Olivia Wilde and Cooper Hoffman in a pointed examination of Gen Z attitudes.It drives me batty in romps involving older women and younger men when the worldly siren settles for a fumbling rube.

(See: Mrs.Robinson in the “The Graduate.”) But Erika gets enjoyment mostly...