Review: The Oh in Ohio (2006)

Director: Billy Kent | 85 minutes | comedy | Actors: Parker Posey, Danny DeVito, Paul Rudd, Mischa Barton, Miranda Bailey, Keith David, Liza Minelli, Tim Russ

The film company is promoting “The Oh in Ohio” as a film in the style of “Desperate Housewives” and “Sex in the City”. The development of female sexuality is a common theme, but that is where the actual similarity ends. “The Oh in Ohio” is an unpretentious film, with an emphasis on the comedy element. Sex is used as a laughingstock. The storylines are light, no heavy themes are dealt with.

When Jack (Paul Rudd) and Priscilla (Parker Posey) split up after a decade of marriage because Jack can no longer cope with not being able to bring Priscilla to orgasm, neither seems to be heartbroken. Biology teacher Jack has fun with a younger student, who revives his lost ego, and Priscilla seeks help from a flamboyant sex guru (a funny cameo by Liza Minnelli). The sex guru advises her to buy a vibrator, and Priscilla becomes addicted to masturbation. Ultimately, the vibration function of her cell phone also turns out to be very effective. After trying several “live” ones without success, twenty years older little fat pool salesman Larry (Danny DeVito) turns out to be the only man who can give her ultimate physical pleasure. DeVito is endearing and charming in his role as an unexpected seducer. His warm manner of acting makes it almost credible that the beautiful, young, and successful in social life, Priscilla would fall for an old, fat and bald man of sixty.

The lightheartedness of “The Oh in Ohio” is the pitfall of the film. The story remains so light that it ultimately makes the film uninteresting. The twists and turns are predictable and the missing element of surprise makes the film not very original. The pinnacle of the lack of originality is the shameless copy of the (fake) cum scene as played by Meg Ryan in “When Harry Met Sally”. The acting isn’t bad, but the actors deserved a better script.

“The Oh in Ohio” is like fast food. Eat quickly as a snack. Half an hour after a meal you have already forgotten that you put something in your mouth.