Sex Therapy

Thanks for Sharing looks into the world of addition and their support groups. How individuals create support networks to deal with problems. In this, the maid addition is sexual, these people can't stop having sex, but you soon discover it is more than the act but a real disease of obsessions. There is Neil (Josh Gad), the doctor who has been court ordered to seek treatment, Neil the overall good guy is overcoming his problems until he tries to connect the release of sex and emotional connection as he begins to date Phoebe (Gwyneth Partrow) and Dede (Pink) who can't relate with a man unless it deals with sex. Tim Robbins does an exceptional job of being the counselor leader as he deals with own home life turmoil with a drug addicted son. This movie is insightful of addiction and the difficulty of staying clean, no matter what your addition may be.

Somewhere between Indy cinema and mainstream Hollywood as well as treading between comedy and drama, this is not an implication that it suffers from an identity crisis but more of an affirmation that genre boundaries do not have to be definite to produce an acceptable result.

The main corpus of the story is three sex addicts and their struggle to overcome it and it makes a point that a paramount factor in recovery is not so much the discipline to abstain from sexual stimulants but being surrounded by people who you can depend upon in the good as well as the bad days. In other words, community is paramount.

Overall, it is both a pleasant and poignant story that explores the isolation and darkness associated with this condition. A minus point would be the complete lack of background information on the illness although this is more than compensated in the battle these individual give not only to get better but to be accepted by others.

So a film that is both amusing with some is no little thing.

'It's like trying to quit crack while the pipe is attached to your body' Stuart Blumberg is a director who takes chances (The Girl Next Door , The Kids Are All Right, Keeping the Faith). Using a screenplay he wrote in conjunction with actor Matt Winston he approaches a subject rarely touched upon (or even known about to the general public) – sex addiction – and with the very capable assistance of a superb cast of actors he brings it off. The film may disturb some, especially those easily offended by the degree of self indulgence that story addresses, but stay with this story to the end and be enlightened and touched by the triumph of the human spirit over seemingly insurmountable odds.

The story centers around three sex addicts who must attend 12 step meetings, have a sponsor, and refrain from onanism or frottage or viewing pornography, sharing their shortcomings at eh meetings of fellow addicts. Adam (Mark Ruffalo) is an environmental consultant whose has been 'sober' for five years and has as his sponsor Mike (Tim Robbins), a small business owner married to the supportive Katie (Jowly Richardson) with whom he has a disowned alcoholic son Danny (Patrick Fugit), and who is sponsor to the obese foolhardy voyeuristic frottage obsessed ER Doc Neil (Josh Gad) whose mother Roberta (Carol Kane) has no clue about her son's debilitating condition. The three men – Adam, Mike, and Neil - interact in needy ways and each faces a crisis he must address: Adam finally meets a girl to whom he can possibly relate, breast cancer survivor Phoebe (Gwyneth Paltrow); Mike must deal with his son Danny's return to the nest; Neil becomes tied to Dede (Pink) who is a sex addict of the first order and desperate to change. It all works in at times confusing ways, but always with a focus on the fragility of the addicted human being – no matter the source of dependency.

The film has its light moments, but it is certainly more of a drama than a comedy – except for the fact that 'all of life in the human comedy.' It is good to see a capable group take on a controversial subject and deliver it well.

I actually laughed pretty hard in this. What I was really impressed with was the contrasting emotions throughout the entire movie and it dealt with a somewhat overlooked issue in society these days. The movie didn't really slow down at all and there was always something happening. Acting is great but that's to be expected with Mark Ruffalo and Gwenyth Paltrow. Josh Gad is hilarious as always and definitely has all the laugh out loud moments. While I'm not a fan of P!nk in any capacity, she holds herself well in this role. I'm not sure why it got a fairly average 6.3 on IMDb and a 54 on Metacritic. Perhaps it is a bit confrontational in some aspects for some people but it isn't advertised as a feel good romantic comedy. Even if you don't see it in the theatres, make sure you get it on DVD or stream it, you won't regret it.

Thanks for Sharing won't be for everybody, but if you're up for it, you'll get to see an incredible performance from Mark Ruffalo. If you're not up for it, go ahead and pick something else. You can pick any number of his other movies to see a great performance. This one deals with sex addiction, and it's very informative and revealing.

As Gwyneth Paltrow's character says when she learns her new boyfriend (Mark) has a 30-day chip in his pocket, "Isn't that just something guys say when they get caught cheating?" Most people don't understand how sex addiction truly transforms a person. After watching Mark Ruffalo, you'll understand. There's a particular scene where he lets sexual thoughts overtake him, and his face contorts so much he becomes a different person right in front of your eyes. It's scary, but it's a true testament to what a great actor he is. He's different in every single movie he makes, from 13 Going on 30 to Shutter Island. In this film, he makes you understand how difficult it is to abstain from sexual temptation when it's ever-present in advertising, fashion trends, movies, the internet, and at the forefront of modern relationships.

There are representatives of many different types of people who attend the meetings. Tim Robbins is Mark's sponsor, someone who's licked his addiction for years and has a healthy, meaningful relationship with his wife Joely Richardson. Alicia Moore (also known in the singing world as Pink) is a newcomer who recognizes her self-destructing patterns but doesn't know how to change. Josh Gad is another newcomer who doesn't take his recovery seriously, but instead lies about his progress.

You can imagine how heavy this movie is. It's not titillating, and it doesn't glamorize the problem. It's a rare, frank exposure of a problem not many people understand. And I know I haven't complemented him enough, so here's one more: Mark Ruffalo is a remarkable actor.