Love, et autres drogues

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.

Love stories are essentially the same -- it's a matter of how you dress them up. Many will see through "Love and Other Drugs" and count the romance clichés and formulaic characters, others will find the 1996 setting and the pharmaceutical angle refreshing. Both forces are hard at work in this film, but the tipping point goes in favor thanks to the leads, Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway. There's a reason most romantic films are judged based on the chemistry of their lead actors. When it comes to romance, it's not about how cleverly written the two characters are and how unique and special they feel to us. What counts is whether they can convince you of their attraction/love and get you to -- without blunt coercion -- invest in what happens to them. Gyllenhaal and Hathaway have what it takes to do just that in spite of a script that sometimes tries to lean too hard on conventional tactics of boys meets girl. Gyllenhaal plays Jamie, an expert salesman who lands a gig as a pharmaceutical sales rep for Pfizer, right before Viagra hit the market. He's also adept at landing any woman he desires. He epitomizes a Don Juan and he's plays the type well, but when you can predict that he'll end up in bed with the next attractive woman that shows up on screen, the writing has taken it a bit far. As good of a filmmaker as Edward Zwick is, his best credits include "Glory," "The Last Samurai" and "The Blood Diamond" -- not exactly romance. He co-wrote the script (based on Jamie Reidy's memoir) with longtime collaborator Marshall Herskovitz and thriller writer Charles Randolph ("The Interpreter"), so no real romantic comedy prowess exists among them, hence the tendency to stick with genre conventions. One such convention is Jamie's brother (Josh Gad), who plays the little brother crashing on Jamie's couch who has a porn addiction and makes clueless statements, usually to the tune of no laughs, but he does help break the tension. Enter girl. Jamie meets Maggie, a bit of a free-spirited cynic who (in a unique twist) has way early onset Parkinson's. Many will be quick to jump on the "diseased girl" archetype, but don't judge Hathaway's prowess that quickly. As completely pathetic as Maggie's self-esteem might be and how strictly anti-commitment she is, when her character caves in to the romance as they all do, Hathaway gives Maggie a believable fragility rather than a melodramatic tone. Jamie's motives for wanting to spend more time with Maggie and not simply continuing his streak of banging all who possess lady parts are reduced to the reason of "she's playing hard to get," which is not the best of reasons. The same can be said about Maggie constantly accusing Jamie of having pity sex with the diseased girl. However, watching these two charm each other and overcome the cliché has a definite appeal. The two spend a lot of naked time together, making "Love and Other Drugs" the best date movie this holiday season. But on a serious note, the drug angle and the "recent past" setting give us something else to chew on, which is nice. Zwick never truly marries that story line with the romance except "Jamie sells drugs and Maggie has a disease that lacks an effective one." The thematic ties are not quite there despite the plot coincidences and the fitting title. "Love and Other Drugs" is hardly the cure for the common romantic comedy, but the consistent dosage of its two stars by and large pushes away those symptoms. ~Steven C

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.

Love and Other Drugs (2010)

*** (out of 4)

Director Zwick will probably always be known for his big-budget epics but this small comedy-drama is actually a return to the likes of his earlier films like the underrated ABOUT LAST NIGHT... Jamie (Jake Gyllenhaal) is a pharmaceutical salesman who just wants to build his career and ride it as high as he can. Maggie (Anne Hathaway) is a free-spirit suffering with Parkinson's who doesn't want to be tied down or have anyone actually help her. The two meet up, become sex buddies and soon other emotions start to sneak in. LOVE AND OTHER DRUGS isn't a classic movie and it's certainly far from a good one. I was really shocked to see how many issues there were in this movie including the fact that the first hour is pretty much a raunchy comedy and then out of no where we get thrown head first into a very deep drama. I don't mind movies that jump around from laughs to drama and then back to laughs but the first half of this thing really don't lead you to believe we're going to get some heavy drama so when it comes and then stays you really wonder what happened in the screenplay and why such a drastic change comes out of no where. This is an incredibly uneven movie but at the same time the two lead performances are so great that you're willing to overlook the flaws because their characters are just so irresistible. There's no question that the main reason to watch this film would be for Gyllenhaal and Hathaway who are both fabulous and you can't help but feel with any other actors this film probably wouldn't have worked at all. I really thought Hathaway was the stand out here as she dives head first into this troubled character and I thought she nailed every aspect. She has no problem playing the loose, free-spirit and she doesn't have any issues when the character is suffering from her illness. The way Hathaway goes through her emotions was very believable and she made you feel as if this was a real character with these real problems. Gyllenhaal is just as good in his role as he's the one who plays the immature guy who eventually gets a dose of medicine and has to wake up from his little play world. I thought the actor handled the raunchy stuff extremely well but he was also believable during the more dramatic moments. The two stars have a lot of chemistry together and they really do come across like a real couple. Oliver Platt and Hank Azaria are both good in their roles but the screenplay doesn't offer much for either of them. The same is true for Josh Gad who plays Gyllenhaal's brother who has a porn addiction. Gad's performance is just fine but his character and his issues really seem out of place and especially when the drama aspect of the story hits. The film takes place in 1996 just as Viagra was about to take off and this drug war has a big part to do in the screenplay but this here is just another aspect that felt tacked on and in the end it really wasn't needed. The film is very uneven and there are many flaws but I think the performances make it worth viewing and the non-stop nudity by the two stars will probably make it a high rental for years to come.

On the surface, Love & Other Drugs appears to be a typical romantic comedy that follows the tried-and-true formula of a ladies' man, Jamie (played by Jake Gyllenhaal), falling in love with his latest hookup, Maggie (played by Anne Hathaway). However, what sets this movie apart from its contemporaries is its poignant exploration of Maggie's struggle with Parkinson's disease.

The movie can be divided into two halves: the first is a typical rom-com, complete with witty banter and charming flirtations between Jamie and Maggie. However, midway through the film, the tone takes a dramatic shift as the focus shifts to Maggie's struggles with her illness. The movie becomes intimate and shockingly raw as Jamie tries to cope with the future struggles he and Maggie will face together, while simultaneously portraying Maggie's struggle to let someone in and take care of her. This story really works and brought tears to my eyes near the end.

While the direction is pretty bland and lacks any real sense of style, the performances are strong. Both Hathaway and Gyllenhaal have excellent chemistry and play off each other perfectly. However, the real standout performance comes from Josh Gad, whose comedic timing is brilliant and whose scenes had me laughing out loud.

One aspect of the movie that detracts from its overall impact is the excessive use of nudity. Hathaway is shown topless in almost every scene, to the point where it feels quite predatory. While I am not sure if the choice to include this excessive nudity was made by the director or writing team, its frequency detracts from the intimacy of the characters' interactions and feels quite gratuitous.

Overall, Love & Other Drugs is a solid romantic comedy that attempts to do something a little different, which I can definitely appreciate. Its exploration of illness and its effects on relationships adds a layer of depth and emotion that the typical rom-com formula usually lacks.

Score: 70% 👍 Verdict: Good.