Directed By: Edward Zwick
Written By: Edward Zwick, Charles Randolph & Marshall Herskovitz
Based On The book: Hard Sell- The Evolution Of a Viagra Salesman By: Jamie Reidy
Cinematography By: Steven Fierberg
Editor: Steven Rosenblum
Cast: Anne Hathaway, Jake Gylennhaal, Josh Gad, Hank Azaria, Oliver Platt, George Segal, Jill Clayburgh, Judy Greer, Gabriel Macht, David Morse, Katheryn Winnick, Nikki DeLoach
Though it feels like a second attempt at ABOUT LAST NIGHT as it has the sexual frankness and look at modern relationships that the previous film explored. It is even made by the same director. Here it is mixed with a dying woman who is looking for no strings attached relationship. The fimmakers try to hide that point in the movie's advertsing more making it look like a typical romantic comedy.
I surprisingly like this film. It is fluff but it seems like fluff that attempts to be gritty. It is predictable to a T. It walks a fine line between comedy and romance. it is one of the few Romantic comedies i think men won't mind watching.
There is plenty of eye candy for both sexes.
The film is about a young playboy who has a encounter with a young woman and at first both are fine with a sex only relationship but soon he becomes fascinated with learning about her and her personal life and aqgainst her own wishes she falls for him and they begin a relationship. He knows shh has a disease butt he longer he stays in the relatioship he see's the symptoms and how it breaks her down. Soon he has a hard time wehter he should stay and do the right thing or run.
One of the films strengthss is the chemistry of the stars and the fact that for half the film they are both nude i'm sure won't hurt. Jake Gyleenhaal it is nice to see him lighten up from the typically serious film roles he is usally in. He looks like he is having funa and that he works out a lot which makes him beleivable as a pharmacutical rep playboy.
Anne Hathaway is a joy as always and though she has been nude before in films HAVOC, BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN. She always seems to amaze me.
One of the flaws of the film and it's not the actor's fault is the characteter of Gyleenhaal's brother a gross douche played by josh gad sure he has some funny lines but his character is so repulsive in attitude, personality and even looks that it makes no sense for him to be in the film sure he is comic relief but they could have made him juist a bit appealing. Maybe if his attitude had been so bad for a real reason it would have helped. I know people have siblings that are unappealing and the complete opposite but there should alos be some reason to like him as he is not a villian. i could have also lived without seeing him in a sex scene. The character almost seems like a fat nerd stereotype.
The sex scenes were designed by the director asking the stars to watch romantic comedies and erotic films and to tell him what turned each off them on in them and about them and he used that as a greatest hits list to work on what the scenes would look like and what would be done in them. It is the closest a studio has come to realistic and exciting sex scenes in a while and finally puts that aspect into a romantic comedy without it seeming cheap or tawdry.
The film starts off as a cutting edge comedy about the bsuioness he is entering but once the romance starts that seems to begin to disappear until it becomes a afterthought which is a shame as the film was strong in those scenes then the romance happens thyue are strong but also feel manuifactured as we have wseen them before but at least they try to be artistic.
The film is set in the 90's, it is becasue the future miracle drug that is viagra plays a pivotal role in the film. Other then that and a few pop culture jokes there really is no reason for it to be set in that decade and after awhile it seems to forget it too.
I liked how the sterile offices that jake's character works in is offset by the glowing warm apartment that anne's character lives in.
The Visuals and Picture are crisp and sharp. Which makes it worth watching on Blu-Ray
GRADE: B-
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