Love and Other Drugs

Love and Other Drugs

Based on the trailers and marketing, Love and Other Drugs really seemed like your typical romantic comedy. What we were supposedly watching is a movie about a charming, but kind of soulless pharmaceutical rep Jamie Randall (Jake Gyllenhaal) who meets a free spirit and feisty young artist type Maggie Murdock (Anne Hathaway). They fall in love, she teaches him how to really feel something, there's a fight, then there's a mopey montage, and well, we all know the formula by now.

While that is the general flow of the movie, it is not what the movie is about. I don't care if some people consider this a spoiler - I think it is important to know - Maggie has Stage 1 Parkinson's Disease, and that illness colors every single decision made in the movie. The maturity with which this topic is tackled is impressive, and it changes the movie. Suddenly, Jamie's decision doesn't just come down to whether or not he can find the maturity to have a real relationship; the decision now is does he have what it takes to also take care of someone else who someday won't be able to take care of herself? Love and Other Drugs takes this topic head-on and handles it gracefully and refuses for the most part to get overly sentimental (well, for the most part).

The movie is aided immensely by good performances from both Gyllenhaal and Hathaway, both of whom do a good job of building three-dimensional characters. These aren't Hollywood archetypes; they're people who have both good and bad qualities. The supporting cast, including Hank Azaria, Oliver Platt, and Judy Greer also put in some terrific work.

Pity then that the movie is almost destroyed by Jamie's younger brother Josh (Josh Gad), a multi-millionaire slob who walked in from a gross-out rated-R comedy. It's not that Gad delivers a bad performance; it's that his character does not belong in here. He is such a cartoon character, yelling profanities all the time, groping every woman he can, proudly proclaiming his addiction to internet porn, and indulging in all sorts of other ridiculous antics that don't belong in this movie. Maybe director/producer Edward Zwick (Last Samurai) felt like he needed some comic relief. I don't know why. Gyllenhaal and Hathaway's charms provide more than enough chuckles. But Josh is a ridiculous caricature; whenever he makes an appearance the movie veers into over-the-top Hangover territory that threatens to undermine the entire film.

Some people won't like this movie, whether it is because of the well-trodden central narrative or because of Josh, but I think if you can block that out, you will enjoy yourself. It's a good movie and deeper than you would think. It could have been great if the filmmakers had just had the courage to stick with Gyllenhaal and Hathaway and leave the crazy comedy alone.

MVP: Gyllenhaal is good, but this is Hathaway's movie, hands down. Not only does she do a good job with the physical toll Parkinson's can take even in its early stages, but she telegraphs the emotional toll it takes, as well. Yes, she is defensive and maybe overly sensitive at times. But the way she plays it, you can't blame her. She is also very fun and witty, and it is easy to see why Jamie would fall for her. Just look at the way she smiles so broadly and genuinely at Jamie and then the second he looks away, her smile fades as the reality of the situation hits her. She's not faking the smile. That would be too easy. She is really at the happiest and worst moment of her life simultaneously, and Hathaway embodies those complexities beautifully. It's a great performance.

TRIVIA: When designing the sex scenes (of which there are many), Zwick asked his leads to watch the famous romantic comedies or sexually themed films, including everything from
9 Songs to Last Tango in Paris to 1959's Pillow Talk. They discussed what they liked most about the movies' romantic scenes and Zwick tried to incorporate these moments.

BEST LINE: Jamie: "Hey Lisa." Bruce: "Her name's not Lisa." Jamie: "I know. But if every time I say "hey Lisa," she'll think I dated a girl who looked just like her. She will develop this unconscious need to win my approval. And from there, it's cake."