But the Toronto filmmakers involved -- Virgo as director and co-writer, his wife Tamara Berger as the novelist who adapted her book to the screen -- are not pornographers. Lie With Me does not appear to be merely shocking or titillating.

Instead, I am convinced by what is on screen that they are courageous artists. Using explicit visual language, they are trying to explore the difference between lust and love, two forces so entwined in new romantic relationships that the lines are blurred. This is especially true among the youth depicted on screen. They lack life experience (although not sexual experiences -- virginity is not an issue).

There may be no point in having these particular characters talk about how lust blinds them to the possibility of love. They are carnal creatures, inarticulate individuals who act out their passions instead of searching for the poetic language that would express their desire.

In that sense, they are more like the base lovers in the infamous film 9 1/2 Weeks, and less than the classic couple in Last Tango In Paris or in the original Wertmuller version of Swept Away To An Unusual Destiny.

Lie With Me focuses on two individuals. Leila (Lauren Lee Smith, who also does the disembodied, occasional narration) is a woman angry with her parents for divorcing, dooming the idea of love. So she acts out in frustration.

David (Eric Balfour from The O.C.) becomes her lover, even before they know each other's names -- and safe sex does not seem to be on their minds, either. He acts out to counterbalance his responsibility as a loving caretaker to his dying father (old hippie actor Don Francks back on screen).

The strength of the film is that the actors are shameless and real, hiding nothing. The weakness of the film is that it makes it point rather pointedly several times over. There are repetitive scenes, especially in bed, that seem more like filler than a step forward in the storytelling.

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