Love & Other Drugs

The movie starts out as a generic and even pedestrian romantic comedy and appears to be headed in the typical cliché driven direction but, fortunately, evolves in to something more. Jake Gyllenhaal's character and his alleged "funny" fat side kick are established almost purposefully as illustrations of what's wrong with most romantic comedies. It's Anne Hathaway's character that is the catalyst for the transformation from two dimensional rom-com to something deeper and more enjoyable. As she is fleshed out (pun intended because the more Anne Hathaway nudity the better) her character forces both Gyllenhaal's character and the film itself to grow (almost Viagra like). What follows is a deep, sometimes moving and genuinely interesting film. Commentary about battling illness, life and enjoying the moment are all relevant and poignant. Even supporting characters are given moments to shine. Oliver Pratt's drug rep has a wonderful scene delivered over dinner and there's even a smart drunken ramble explaining what is wrong with being a doctor and a commentary on the state of the Hippocratic Oath. From an emotionless and even tedious start, this film surprised me and is worth the price of a ticket.

Despite what some may say, Love and Other Drugs wasn't like other romantic comedies I've seen except in the most general of senses, in that it was a romantic comedy. I hadn't seen one set in the environment of pharmaceutical sales or with a main character who had Parkinsons disease, a setting which is very interesting as there are a lot of things wrong with health care and the system today. It gives one something to chew on while watching the rest of the movie.

There's a lot to like about the relationship between Jamie and Maggie. They have a raw intensity and passion for each other that was a bit much for some viewers, but in my opinion it was there to show how connected they were both physically and mentally. I thought their banter and teasing nature was cute. Nobody got wounded or sulked when teased but just laughed and teased back. The initial attraction between them started as an understanding of each other's loneliness and vulnerability that allowed them to feel like someone else finally got them after easily charming others with nothing more than a fascade. Their relationship had passion, love, and a roller-coaster of emotions.

There was a scene midway through the movie where Maggie tells Jamie that even though she may have many other moments like the ones that she shared with him that it will never be as special or mean as much to her and my heart wanted to swell because I knew exactly what she meant and what it is like to love someone that much.

As they grew together, both characters changed and let go of their issues with commitment and love. They tore down the walls they'd built to protect themselves and just let themselves fall. It was beautiful to me and I really enjoyed Love & Other Drugs.

This film surprised me in a good way.

From the trailer and the posters to be found in many of the bus shelters of our town it would have been fair to have expected a routine rom-com. The pose struck by the leads Jake Gylenhall & Anne Hathaway on that poster just screamed "knock about rom-com,just like hundreds of others" It isn't though and that was a pleasant and engaging surprise.

Jake Gylenhall pulls off the role of super bright but super slacker son Jamie in a high achieving family well and is convincing as a magnetising presence that women find irresistible.

The absence of Anne Hathaway's character Maggie in the first segment of the film is the first suggestion that this will not be a routine paint by numbers romance and Maggie's introduction sets the scene for the complex character she successfully portrays.

This film covers a lot of ground and both of the leads are engaging and believable.

Issues such as serious illness, the workings of the big pharmaceutical companies and their attempts to influence the decision making of medical professionals, the struggle people have to pay for treatment and a believably complex love story are woven in without significant signposting or obvious plot twists.

Once again, the two lead actors were excellent and overall this made for an enjoyable and engaging film

In 1996, the womanizer salesman Jamie Randall (Jake Gyllenhaal) loses his job in an electronic store after shagging her coworker. Jamie is hired by Pfizer to sell Zoloft with his colleague Bruce Winston (Oliver Platt) and he uses his charm to seduce the receptionists and reach the doctors to convince them to prescribe Pfizer's drugs.

When he meets the twenty-six year-old Maggie Murdock (Anne Hathaway), they have sex on the first date. Maggie is a free spirit that has stage one Parkinson's disease and does not want to have a steady relationship. However, after a period, they both have a feeling that they have never felt before: love. But Jamie is promoted and need to move to Chicago and Maggie is afraid of her degenerative disease.

"Sex & Other Drugs" is a pleasant romance where the former Disney movies' actress Anne Hathaway shines with a bold role of a young woman that loves sex having to deal with Parkinson disease. Her character is very hot and her love scenes have a high level of eroticism. The bitter criticism to the pharmaceutical industry and corrupted doctors is unusual in American films.

Jake Gyllenhaal is a good actor in action films but he has a wooden performance in the role of a wolf that uses his appeal to be an efficient salesman. Josh Gad is annoying and his inconvenient character is never funny. Oliver Platt has a minor participation. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Amor e Outras Drogas" ("Love and Other Drugs")

I enjoyed the chemistry between Gyllenhaal and Hathaway quite a bit. It's definitely the selling point of this film and makes it watchable. The story involving pharmaceutical companies and the healthcare industry is interesting, as is the late 90s setting. The film ultimately falls into typical rom com conventions though. However, the chemistry of the two leads and the focus on the struggle of Parkinson's help make this one slightly rise above the pack.