Friday, November 26, 2010

Love & Other Drugs..Hit or Miss?

LOVE & OTHER DRUGS, the Jake Gyllenhaal, Anne Hathaway starring film, is an unconventional love story set during the introduction of Viagra into the marketplace, loosely based on the book HARD SELL by Pziser’s then #1 salesman Jamie Reidy. 
The seemingly perfect set up for a see-it-over-and-over-again romantic comedy, LOVE & OTHER DRUGS revolves around a handsome, ladies-man sales superstar (Gyllenhaal) falling for a jaded, seen-it-all pretty girl (Hathaway), with a major twist -- she’s sick and pushes everyone away because she’s convinced no one will stay (So why bother with false hope? She reasons). 
Here’s where I’m conflicted on my love/hate for this movie. What I liked was the emotional roller coaster of the main characters, that two lost people manage to find each other, the realistic life choices they wrestled, with and the heartwarming sensitivity to the the plight of sufferers of Parkinson’s disease. So yes, the set up, story line, and much of the film was intriguing, including a stellar cast and an award worthy performance from Anne Hathaway.
What I didn’t like was the excessive, squirm in your seats, gratuitous sex and over the top choices made by seasoned director Ed Zwick (Glory, Defiance, Legands of the Fall), leaving the audience noticeably uncomfortable on at least three occasions. Scene after scene of impulsive, aggressive, explicit sex filled much of the air-time of an otherwise well written, thought-provoking film. Here’s the deal Hollywood, I know longtime “good girl” actresses like to breakout of their stereotypes and do an “edgy role,” but America really doesn’t want to see their sweethearts naked--not Julia Roberts, not Julie Andrews, and not Anne Hathaway. 
In my one-on-one interview with the director Zwick defended his choices of excessiveness saying it would cheapen the storyline if he had his stars “pull up the sheets and cover up.” And he feels there is “nothing wrong with nudity--it’s beautiful.” 
Seriously? give me a break. Sure, the body is beautiful. But personally, I don’t want to see my boss, my friends, my family... really anyone in my life naked, other than my husband. 
As a relationship coach who has literally seen it all, the way the main characters go about finding each other is clearly NOT how lasting love is ever found. Zwick claims he was simply reflecting the way Twenty-Somethings find love these days with repeated promiscuous sex until they get it right and a relationship stick. Don’t get me wrong, promiscuity happens every day, but lasting love is not what follows those encounters. Instead broken lives become filled with more emptiness.
If you’re intrigued to see what the pharmaceutical world is like behind the scenes, with romance thrown in, see this film. But this is not director Edward Zwick’s typical masterpieces where you’ll find yourself seeing it at the theatre multiple times then rush to pick up the DVD on the day of its release. It easily could have been if there had been a few different directorial choices. The end result? A film to see once then move on to the next film.