Virtual Sexuality review

Virtual Sexuality is unusual for a Brit Flick. There're no guns, no period frocks, no gritty social realism... Basically, it's a high-concept, special-effects heavy teen movie -a real throwback to the John Hughes stuff of the `80s, with an intelligent but naive female going through the regular teen traumas of spots, boys and relation-ships. But it differs from these as it's far more explicit in its portrayl of sex.

While it's based on a novel by Chloe Rayban, the tone owes more to adapter Nick Fisher, agony `aunt' of Just 17 and tabloid film critic. And it's chocca with typical problem-page dilemmas: how do get that cute boy to notice you? Is your best friend really your best friend? And what does the opposite sex look like naked? The latter is graphically answered in an after-football shower scene, and it's episodes like this (and another in a sex shop) that really jar. Virtual Sexuality is not quite adult enough to be enjoyed by post-pubescents in a Gregory's Girl sort of way, yet some of the more explicit stuff will make the more bashful adolescents out there wince.

There's also the issue of Justine's age: a 17-year-old who talks more like a 13- year-old. It's likely that her age was hiked higher to avoid censorship problems with underage sex, but some of the things she comes out with are, to put it politely, slightly unusual. That said, Fraser is still great: she's enthusiastic, likeable, gorgeous and far preferable to Hoover (Bell), the supposed sex queen of the piece.

The cast member with the toughest job, though, has to be Rupert Penry-Jones, who convinces as the girl inside a man's body while snatching the majority of the laughs. But most of those chuckling are likely to be members of the Minx crowd - if you're of either the adult or male persuasion, then you'll be merely bemused.