Fun With Sex in VIDA
just because a scene is overtly hot and explicitly sexy doesn't mean you can't also be silly and suggestive
CW - the clip below contains bare breasts, partial nudity (buttocks), and simulated sex with toys. If you like, you can check Vida’s certification in your country
Vida loves depicting sex, and exploring how sex can be confusing, hot, dramatic, passionate, traumatic, ridiculous, fun, and funny.
In this scene from #2.6, Lyn (Melissa Barrera) uses a strap-on to fuck her boyfriend Rudy (Adrian Gonzalez), who is running for city councilman (this is relevant).
What I want to concentrate on are the ‘intro and outro.’
Intro 0:00 - 0:08: A beat plays underneath a panning shot of a trophy cabinet containing soccer balls and (American) footballs; that they are signed implies they are more of a status symbol or collection than an earned or nostalgic item.
The next shot is panning down over a light fixture, and while there are shapes and motion in the background which suggest this may be a sex scene, the relevant part here is that they are bulbous; this is objectively hilarious.
0:09 - 0:58: Sex.
You can enjoy this scene on its own merits, but the fact Rudy’s idea of dirty talk involves being called increasingly grand titles — from Senator to President — ties into the social status represented by the sports paraphernalia. Sure that calls for a slight stretch (like the dildo); for example, it may have been clearer to pan across photos of Rudy posing with various politicians. But that would have merely been about status, where the signed balls are about status and a sight gag.
0:58 - 1:02: As Rudy grips the sheet in pleasure, he tugs it down to reveal the bright Vida title card.
SMASH CUT TO
1:03 - 1:05: A closeup of hands reaming an orange with a wooden juicer, an obvious visual reference to the ‘sticking a toy into a hole and moving it around’ Lyn was just doing.
Please note the pile of orange balls in the background
But wait, because that’s not the end of this joke / inference . . .
Outro 1:06 - 1:16: A closeup of Lyn talking means we’re not quite sure how the fruit-reaming is happening or who is doing it. Lyn could be, but her body movements don’t seem to match.
It’s not typical to start a new scene in a new location with a closeup and then another closeup, but doing so sets up the next shot. This punchline combines everything which has come before (pun intended):
The way Lyn is positioned on the counter with Rudy standing behind her legs suggests her riding him, but his hands with the orange and juicer are also there, implying he’s capable of working with toys, too.
Not only that, there’s an erect champagne bottle in ice on the counter, and more bulbous light fixtures hanging from the ceiling, a callback to the opening shots.
The choice of shots deliver delicious, sexy, fun, and character commentary, all rolled into one.