When I first read about the premise for this week’s subject, indie movie ‘Concussion’, it all seemed a bit too simple. As in: Suburban Lesbian Mom gets hit on the head by a ball thrown by one of her children and becomes a raving sex fiend and eventually, covert prostitute. I was reminded of The Edge radio station’s tasteless and extremely unpleasant recent promo, which was won by two straight men who agreed to get married for tickets to the World Cup. It bought up the conversation of whether it’s possible to be “gay for a day” or even “straight for pay”, as I assumed aforementioned Suburban Lesbian Mom had turned the corner after a bump on the head and desired blokes but no, she was just in the market for a wider range of ladies. And then some.

When I first read about the premise for this week’s subject, indie movie ‘Concussion’, it all seemed a bit too simple. As in: Suburban Lesbian Mom gets hit on the head by a ball thrown by one of her children and becomes a raving sex fiend and eventually, covert prostitute. I was reminded of The Edge radio station’s tasteless and extremely unpleasant recent promo, which was won by two straight men who agreed to get married for tickets to the World Cup. It bought up the conversation of whether it’s possible to be “gay for a day” or even “straight for pay”, as I assumed aforementioned Suburban Lesbian Mom had turned the corner after a bump on the head and desired blokes but no, she was just in the market for a wider range of ladies. And then some.

The movie also addresses a situation I had hitherto zero knowledge of, called “Lesbian Bed Death” - yep, that’s right. A term coined by sexologist Pepper Schwartz to describe the drop in sexual desire and/or activity experienced by some long-term lesbian couples, it has clearly struck high-powered New York divorce lawyer Kate (Julie Fain Lawrence) and her bored, sexually unsatisfied partner, Abby (Robin Weigert), the aforementioned Mom. 

Abby’s the protagonist, and director Stacie Passon gets things going quickly, with Abby taking the wayward ball to the head, tossed by one of her two children, in the film’s opening seconds. That thump to the head leads to the titular concussion, which may or may not have anything to do with what follows - the choice is up to you. Suddenly, Abby decides to spice up her life as a suburban housewife, mother and Soul Cycle devotee by taking on work as a high-priced call girl for lonely female clients.

It all happens very quickly and it is immediately clear that Abby isn’t in it for the money; her partner Kate is officially rolling in it, if their incredibly dull but clearly expensive home is anything to go by. And the sex with her clients, while apparently enjoyable on several levels, seems secondary to the sense that Abby gets her biggest kick out of helping other gay women find themselves and explore their sexuality. Her clients include an obese, 23-year-old virgin and an at first reluctant older woman  - both of whom see Abby more as a life coach than sex worker, and she clearly gets off (for want of a better phrase) on being of help. 

In my humble opinion, dear Abby’s left of centre career move has more to do with the fact that she’s miserable, unappreciated and horny than with her head injury. The film’s title hints, unsubtly, that there may be a medical explanation for Abby’s sudden behavioural change, but for me it’s all about her spirit, not the bump on her head.

I love the fact that ‘Concussion’ takes the old adage of a married couple, busy with work and raising children, who lose the passion and start taking each other for granted and turns it on its head a little, but overall Abby’s journey seems all a bit too fast-paced and easier than it would be in real life. This leads to a slow moving end, with a fair amount of tasteful, non-explicit sex along the way. The acting line up is top notch though, with many strong and gorgeous women that I’ve seen popping up in movies and TV series over the year really getting to stretch their legs and have a bit of fun with some complex characters. Give ‘Concussion’ a go for that alone - it’s an intriguing watch for sure.