'I Am a Sex Addict' proves a frustrating autobiographical tale

Caveh Zahedi is a pretentious jerk.

A Yale philosophy major turned aspiring filmmaker (he's the guy unpacking film theorist Andre Bazin's idea of "the holy moment" in Richard Linklater's "Waking Life"), for 20 years he justified his disinterest in monogamy by leaning on Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir's open relationship, destroyed relationships with the few women willing to put up with him and had increasingly more intimate sex with prostitutes. He's the sort of guy who visits hookers, tells his girlfriend in the name of honesty, then seems baffled when she's not supportive. After facing his sexual addiction, on the eve of his third marriage, he decided to make a movie about his not-so-incredible journey. Charming.

IFC Films 'I Am a Sex Addict' 3 out of 5 stars Director: Caveh Zahedi Starring: Emily Morse, Amanda Henderson , Caveh Zahedi, Olia Natasha, Corinna Chan Run time: 98 minutes Release date: April 5, 2006 Rating: Not rated. On the web Official movie site View the trailer    Trailers require Quicktime Rate 'I Am a Sex Addict'   Go see it   Make it a matinee   Wait to rent   Don't bother Voter Limit: Once per Hour View Poll Results

Or maybe he's just portraying a jerk. His character, who shares his name, is the host and solipsistic protagonist of the frustrating "I Am a Sex Addict." Bleeding together essayistic documentary, confessional monologue and re-enactments worthy of "America's Most Wanted," "Addict" dares you to call it nonfiction while keeping viewers unsure of where they stand with the film and the filmmaker.

Shooting on crisp, but awkwardly pieced-together digital video, the small, slightly effeminate Zahedi sets up the narrative's Gordian knots early and often. Clad in a tuxedo and backstage at his own wedding, he opens his increasingly pathetic tale by doubling back on the chronology until the viewer is (intentionally?) confused into giving in to Zahedi's story. San Francisco stands in for Paris — then we see Paris. Re-enactments are followed by footage of the real girlfriends. The actress playing an alcoholic actually has a drinking problem. It's an obnoxious and often crudely realized strategy, but weirdly effective in spite of itself.

Which might as well be the film's tagline. Obsessed with finding a soul mate but not yet realizing that his perceptions of sex and love are deeply messed up, Zahedi (or is it his character?) destroys a relationship with his first true-love-to-be, exciting Caroline, a Frenchwoman (real-life French porn star Rebecca Lord). Caroline tries to indulge Caveh's urges, but fellow film student Christa (Emily Morse) is less sympathetic.

It's only when he meets up with the impossibly cool free-spirit Devin (Amanda Henderson, easily the film's strongest actor) at a 1991 screening in Austin that he thinks he's found someone who finally understands him. In the film's darkest, most dysfunctional section, Devin tolerates Caveh's "prostitution fetish" mostly through drinking a lot. She eventually splits, the relationship in pieces. In what's sure to prove squirmy for Austinites, Devin is based on the late, beloved Austin film scenester D. Montgomery, who died in 1997.

The aesthetic child of Godard and Woody Allen, "Sex Addict" initially seems like a tale Allen would knock out in a New Yorker short story. And Zahedi's deadpan timing owes everything to such films as "Take the Money and Run." But Zahedi's voice-over is constantly undercutting his own punchlines. Is this part of the narrative strategy or just poor filmmaking? Zahedi (the filmmaker) comes off as the sort of fellow who harasses you with his problems, dares you to pass judgment, then responds with a condecending "Interesting ..." when you pick apart the flaws he's just handed you. To be fair, the film's wedding finale is moving, a life-affirming grace note after a long slide into oblivion.

Of course, you know the old saw: Awkward, nasty, soul-baring confession is easy, but comedy is hard.