Love and Other Drugs

Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Anne Hathaway, Oliver Platt, Hank Azaria, Josh Gad, Gabriel Macht, Judy Greer
Directed by: Edward Zwick
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
2010

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A pharmaceutical rep (Jake Gyllenhaal) meets a passionate, unpredictable woman (Anne Hathway) who's not interested in a serious relationship. The two hit it off, but he soon finds himself wanting more.

Review:

Tim: I was surprised at the depth to Love and Other Drugs. The trailers made this look like a fairly lightweight romantic comedy, when it's really much more of a romantic dramedy. Instead of just a love story, this film also has some powerful commentary on the nature of loving people with incurable diseases and the shadier side of the pharmaceutical industry. This is a romantic movie that was about more than just "will they or won't they?" I appreciated that.

The story follows a pharmaceutical rep who falls for a strong, determined woman who challenges him and differs greatly from the other women he's been with. Okay, so that does sound like your typically cliche-filled romantic comedy. However, there's much more to this movie than the storyline. It actually depicts relationships in a very adult, complicated, realistic way. I appreciated the attempt of this film to portray relationships in all their complex glory. No one ever said being in an adult relationship was easy, and that comes across in this film.

I also enjoyed the look at pharmaceutical sales. That isn't the most open, honest business, and it was interesting to watch an insider's view of what it is like. I thought that added an interesting element to this movie. So many romantic movies feature the leads in throwaway careers that seem implausible. This movie put the characters into a real time period, surrounded by actual events. I thought that lent some credibility to the film.

The movie relies greatly on the chemistry between Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway. I've always liked Gyllenhaal, back to his Donnie Darko days. I really think he has the talent to become of the biggest movie stars in the world. I thought he gave a good, charismatic performance here. He works well with Hathaway. The two showed some decent chemistry and played off each other quite well. The supporting actors were good, as well, with strong performances from Hank Azaria, Oliver Platt, and Judy Greer.

I suppose I can understand why some people wouldn't like this movie. It does occasionally push the boundaries of realism a bit too far, and certain scenes do appear a bit forced. The sex scenes could be viewed as too much for some, and the ending is a bit trite. However, compared to many other similar films, I thought Love and Other Drugs worked surprisingly well. I enjoyed watching it, and I was able to get into the story and the characters.



Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



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