I have no idea if I liked this movie, didn’t like it, whether it worked or not, if I should leave thinking sex addiction is awful or just a mild bump in the light-comedy road. I really am not sure how I feel about this film and I think that speaks to the mixed-blessings it offers up. This is a dramedy version of an addiction movie where different people (primarily Mark Ruffalo, Josh Gad, Pink, and Tim Robbins) deal with sex addiction. I’m not even sure if sex addiction is a real thing (Gwyneth Paltrow dates Ruffalo in the movie, and says “Isn’t that something guys just claim when they get caught cheating?”) and the movie sure doesn’t help with that. They keep telling us it’s awful, but the tone is so light it also (accidentally) makes it look like it’s no big deal. It’s also revealing that nearly all of the sex addicts also have problems with drugs, alcohol, or food, making me think it’s more a general impulse control problem than a real thing.
What Works: Gwyneth Paltrow gives a winning performance as a woman who can’t help falling for Ruffalo, even as she’s suspicious of him. Pink also delivers in her first major screen performance, and Joely Richardson is subtly affecting as Tim Robbins’ long suffering wife. I think it’s a special triumph that a movie about three men suffering from sex addiction can create female characters that are actually more interesting. Plus, after “Shame” (a nihilistic sex addiction movie that makes having sex look like an apocalyptic event), it’s perhaps more truthful to portray the disease in lighter terms: just a series of slowly accumulating incidents that can gradually consume your life.
What Doesn’t Work: Ruffalo is better at the anxious-addict stuff than he is as a charming romantic lead opposite Paltrow. He comes off as unintentionally goofy during moments that are supposed to display his smoothness. Robbins’ Sex Addicts sponsor (who’s also a drunk and drug user) comes off as a one-note blowhard. When he’s lecturing his ex-drug addict son (a solid Patrick Fugit), you wind up rooting for the son. Plus, a lot of reviewers have pointed out that while the easy-going tone might be refreshing for an addict movie, it also keeps the film from really digging deep into its subject.
What I Would Have Done Differently: First, I have to figure out whether I liked this movie or not. Then, I have to figure out whether it’s a good movie or not. After that, I’ll let you know…For now, I can say that it’s a smart, well-observed indie that may not totally deliver, but it sure tries hard.