“She’s Clean,” an indie short written, starring, and directed by Jenn Harris is deeply personal. It’s a treatise on showing and not telling, and an attempt by Harris to invite people in to the very personal world of a woman seeking intimacy. That it’s not too short at 15 minutes is a testament to Harris’ abilities. It’s been heralded by critics to date as a picture of a woman in command of her sexuality… but are intimacy and sexuality the same things? These are the questions Harris proffers by presenting a woman looking for emotional intimacy with a partner, who asks her dates to shower with her. Their acceptance or resistance to this woman’s exuberance gives the viewer food for thought on relationship stereotypes and what it’s like to to connect with another.
When receiving this film from PR, it includes a content warning of nudity and being of a ‘sexual nature.’ But, to be fair, though Harris is naked for most of the film’s run-time, “She’s Clean” doesn’t invite a sexualization of its subjects, but an acceptance of them. I wonder how many men fantasize about what a woman they long for does in the bathroom, who may watch this film discouraged by the fact she only brushes her teeth naked and uses massage guns on her face. Harris’ ‘woman’ (per the IMDb title page) also makes a hard push for acceptance of oneself in their 40s. She brings a fierce personal acceptance and longing to share that with another, and the less confident of her suitors probably feel small next to that.
Asking us to Face Uncomfortableness
The film lends a pondering nature to Harris’ themes by asking us to share the thoughts and feelings of its many male cameos. The short’s cinematography by Charlie Gruet is naturalistic, not voyeuristic, and aside from some quick, naturalistic shots of male or female privates, focuses on the film’s conversations. Harris gives the woman her own set of peccadilloes—which Harris may or may not share—alongside men who are used to a certain set of standards when it comes to dating and sex.
Some are uncomfortable; and the things they are uncomfortable with are not one and the same. In one scene the woman is shocked by one male’s hasty approach to cleanliness, while another gets into her showering ritual with her. Several feel clear awkwardness at various aspects of the showering. One launches into a speech about how he is “just looking for fun” (did the woman every say she wanted the opposite?) while another attempts to shame her as a whore. Harris’ retort to this comment is my favorite in the film, and shows the terseness with which all bigotry should be treated.
Seeking Unabashed Intimacy
I said the film is a testament to showing instead of telling, and it is. Why do I feel this? I feel this because of the way Harris’ woman reacts to the men who want to meet her where she’s at. The ones who attempt to dominate the conversation seem to miss the point, as does another where Harris herself dominates the conversation because he fails to engage with anything besides his preconceptions. But others—two, who ask what the facial massage gun is for and another who meets the woman’s intimacy at the film’s second to last scene—give Harris’ protagonist more to work with. The awkwardness and heaviness of the film’s less compatible encounters make these scenes stick. We feel the ‘woman’s’ comfortability and can therefore internalize it for ourselves.
Ultimately, I feel the strongest element of “She’s Clean” is its approachability and its necessity as a conversation starter. Harris comes from a comedic background (“New York is Dead,” “30 Rock”), but I don’t feel comedy is this film’s winning argument. Its closing shot wants to be—I think—but the best parts of Harris’ vulnerable short lie in its conversations and takeaways. Harris’ performance is stellar, and injects a vibrant life and transparency to her character that’s palpable. Its more awkward bits may cause the audience to reflect on their own preconceptions of dating and sex, while its other parts allow you into this woman’s private world. It asks some hard questions but is worth the effort, and Harris’ winning argument is we learn something about ourselves along the way.
“She’s Clean” is available to watch on Vimeo beginning June 5th. You can view the film’s trailer here or watch the film by clicking the following link.
