In a non-pornographic movie, when you see two characters having sex, what are they actually doing; how is the illusion pulled off? Surely they aren’t actually engaged in sex. Sorry if this question is a little inappropriate, but it’s been bugging me. :o
They just pretend. If you give an example of a non-porno movie where it looked like they couldn’t have been faking, maybe somebody can give a more specific example.
THe movie “Bully” has some serious graphic sex scenes. I have no idea how they woulda filmed that.
http://www.suntimes.com/ebert/ebert_reviews/2001/07/072001.html
Y Tu Mama Tambien is the only non-pornographic movie I’ve ever seen with sex scenes so graphic I found myself wondering if the actors were actually engaging in sex in front of the camers.
Mind you, I’ve not seen many foriegn films.
Then there’s Angel Heart, the movie with Mickey Roarke and Lisa Bonet in which, legend has it, the two actually began to have sex during the filming of a love scene. That’s probably just an Urban Legend though.
Listening to some of the commentary on DVD will give you a clue.
Jennifer Aniston mentioned a lot of “carefully placed padding” during her sex scenes in “The Good Girl”. There are also plenty of body doubles in these movies. Actors/actresses will often than their doubles in these scenes during the commentary.
There’s a scene with Ewan McGregor in The Pillow Book that I’d be surprised to learn wasn’t real sex. It’s hard to imagine how it could have been anything else.
You get the full monty in that scene. And my wife loves it. 
There is a scene in the Alec Baldwin/Kim Basinger remake of “The Getaway” that sure as hell looks like the Real McCoy to me. Them being husband and wife somehow makes it even creepier!..Timmy
Tim R. Mortiss, as I recall reading, the scene with Alec Baldwin/Kim Basinger in The Getaway was authentic. The conditions to which the actors agreed were something like 1) low lights, and 2) only one cameraman in the room - no other crew. No cite though.