Love and Other Drugs... the title pretty much sums it up

Okay... so lots to discuss.  Usually, before I watch a film I check out some reviews to see what the critics thought.  In many cases, the critics are right, and this movie is no exception.

For all of you who don't know what it's about: Jamie (Jake Gyllenhaal), a ladies man, tries to launch a career in pharmaceutical sales.  He meets Maggie (Anne Hathaway), a live in the moment woman with Parkinson's disease.  Their relationship starts out as sex, and yes you all predicted it, eventually turns into love.  Simple enough? You would think so, wouldn't you...

This film is ambitious to say the least.  Not only does it take on the complications of love, but it felt like it could add on top of that the problem of sexual impotence in males, and the solution with a drug called Viagra. If that wasn't enough, this film needed to add the hardships of Parkinson's disease to the list.  Talk about a heavy load.  Something as difficult and heart wrenching as watching someone go through a disease like Parkinson's, does not deserve to sit on the sidelines of a film.  It deserves to be at the heart of it.

With all these things going on all at once, the product was maybe five or six meaningful scenes that came and went too quickly, not giving the opportunity for impact on the audience.  And in between those scenes?  A kind of musical montage that simply implied the passing of time and the continuation of either the characters' happiness or their sadness.  And let's not forget the pointless sex scenes that persisted in the film.  They added nothing to the story line that I couldn't have assumed myself.  Yes, we know they are two well-toned celebrities, but was it necessary to throw it in our faces in every other scene?  Three quarters through the film I got bored and just wanted to go home.  They never really got to the heart of any of the events, only touching the surface and then quickly moving on to something else because there just wasn't enough time.  My advice, stick to one or two major issues or events - as long as you can properly relate them and keep them balanced - and just leave it at that.

Now I realize I haven't been very positive about this movie, so I'm going to add a few good notes.  The acting was well done.  They played their parts fairly well, nothing really impressed me, but nothing was bad either.  The fat younger brother who stays with Jamie throughout most of the film got a few chuckles from me.  The jokes were tasteful, placed in the appropriate spots.  But like I said, nothing stood out.

So, to conclude, I won't be watching this movie again.  I don't recommend it unless you have some compulsive need to see Jake Gyllenhaal naked (and I wouldn't blame you).  Other than that it's not worth your time or your money.

I give this film 5/10
Good effort, but it doesn't hit the mark...