By request. Also opening this holiday spread is Edward Zwick’s “Love & Other Drugs.” I wasn’t the biggest fan of the film when I saw it last month, and Anne had similar misgivings when we discussed it on Oscar Talk. But give us your take in the comments section below.
Comments
33 responses to “Tell us what you thought of ‘Love & Other Drugs’”
I thought it was really terrible…so many awkward and over the top scenes. I don’t think Hathaway should be out of the running because it was a bad movie but this always happens….”The nominees for Best Actress in a movie we also liked are…”
The leads were solid, but I was quite embarrassed for them. The film didn’t know what it wanted to be and I couldn’t wait for it to be over.
Great performances by Jake and Anne that deserved a much better film to exist within. So many characters/situations rang untrue and felt completely artificially generated. Jake’s “brother” was really one of the most unnecessary and unfortunate parts of the entire film. I never once believed in the possibility that they could even pretend to be related, it just didn’t make sense at all. And I cringed at all the moments where Hank Azaria and Oliver Platt had to try and act like pigs – there faces made it seem like they wished they were somewhere else instead. I think the movie tried way too many things and it would have been a lot more successful if it had just kept it simple. Less extraneous characters and plot devices and just more of the great chemistry (and hot sex scenes) between Jake and Anne would have made for a better film. As it is now I thought it was good not great, and not particularly memorable overall.
I will see it because I love the leads, but I’m far more excited to see “Burlesque” this week.
It’s a shame that a movie doesn’t work because it tries to do too many things. Most movies are bad because the don’t try hard enough. Oh well I still want to see this.
Given early reactions and middling reviews, I enjoyed this movie much more than I thought I would.
The first hour is great; sexy, raunchy, fun, and FUNNY. It’s a truly adult romantic dramedy.
The last 45 minutes or so become too-serious, slow, and it all concludes with a satisfactory, but cliched-beyond-belief ending.
Anne and Jake were great. Jake, in a fair world, would be in Best Actor contention, but that ain’t happening. Anne is IN if Jennifer Lawrence doesn’t happen and/or Leslie Manville goes Supporting.
I see this going over decently with the GG, but not necessarily with the Oscars.
Reaction in my theater was mixed. Had 2 walkouts, heard one couple say they hated it, and the 4 women sitting behind me LOVED it. I went with 2 friends, one really liked it, the other one said it got boring towards the end.
My final rating: first hour, A-. Second hour, C+ = overall B/B-
I was very disappointed. I found it very contrived and not at all believable. I wasn’t shocked by the nudity (I actually expected to see more based on the hype) but I didn’t particularly find the sex scenes erotic because they were so shallow, with nothing roiling underneath the surface. Plus, I hated the subplot with the vile brother.
No way is this movie getting Oscar nods–Golden Globe perhaps but definitely no Oscar.
I’m just a little surprised with the consensus so far.
I don’t think the film is an Oscar film; not deep enough, too uneven, etc..
But I did find it more enjoyable than not. I cared for the characters. And it has an A- on yahoo users, thus far. Anyone know the cinemascore?
To those who didn’t care for it very much, do you put in the same league as the Aniston/Heigl/Kristen Bell-type garbage?
Aside from the some unevenness & intermittent script issues, I found L&OD’s source material & acting to be quantifiably superior.
I definitely would not put it in the same level of Aniston/Heigl/Kristen Bell-type garbage, b/c I did feel like the film was coming from a much more genuine place overall. Unfortunately it did misstep into those depths occasionally which regrettably threw the whole tone off completely which the film was never able to recover from. I would probably give it a C+ or 2 and 1/2 stars. The acting was incredible (as I mentioned earlier) by the two leads, I just felt their characters were betrayed by the script and the unsatisfactory places it took them. Plus (as Kris mentioned in his review) that conversation between Jake and Anne at the bus stop towards the end with that ghastly music and about 75 edits was pretty embarrassingly amateurish and ended the film on a bummer note (not because what happened was sad, but b/c what happened was sadly way too cliche and unrealistic.) I felt like the film was maybe too rushed or not finessed enough b/c it had the soul of a great movie but was unfortunately wearing the clothes of a forgettable generic rom-com instead.
Very insightful, thorough explanation, Michael. Thank you. :)
Train wreck.
It would be great if the two of them continue to work together. They have a chemistry that feels very genuine and is also versatile (I couldn’t believe it was the same pair from “Brokeback”) The two of them could be a modern Rock Hudson/Dorris Day.
Terrible film. I mean, it has a 41 % rating on rotten tomatoes. It has to be bad…right?
i liked the movie a lot but the ending just ruined it for me. also i feel like the story would have been more interesting if they did not have the whole Parkinson’s diseases thing and the ending. it was going really well during that first hour. the chemistry was great…i hope Jake and Anne do more movies together. its ashame that a good performance is wasted in the movie.
@Drew, just because a review is bad doesn’t mean you’re not going to like a movie. Also, your comment sounds VERY “trollish.” “Antichrist” got a 50 on rotten tomatoes and that’s not a terrible film by any measure. Also another very underrated film, “Remember Me,” is probably one of the best films of the year but that has a 28%. (Seriously. I was SO HAPPILY SURPRISED by the greatness of it.) I used to not see movies that dipped below a 75 on rotten tomatoes (Top Critics), but as a film lover and aspiring maker you have to open yourself to many different types and ranks of films. If you don’t see this movie then you miss out on two VERY good performances and two VERY emotional and enlightening scenes. (Dinner with Oliver Platt’s Character and the “Other Convention” as I’m calling it.)
I can’t understand how this dreadful movie can be considered for any kind of awards, except for the Razzies where it belongs. The disaster is obvious from the opening sequence and Jake Gyllenhaal starts two hours of ” let’s be as cool as George Clooney “, which makes it very awkward and boring to watch. The sexy, rauchy scenes don’t make a movie. And I do realize it takes time to die from Parkinson’s disease but two hours seemed like a lifetime and we as viewers deserved to see her kick the bucket. And the rest of the cast should be involved ( as characters, I don’t mean any harm to the actors ) in an earthquake. A disaster movie with all those characters would be perfect. That’s where they belong. Or ” Grey’s Anatomy ” would be fine for them too…
Edward Zwick proves once again that he is a hack, unable to find a proper tone for the movie. It lurches from lowbrow, prurient “comedy (the raging erection),” to highminded and self-congratulating lecturing (Parkinsons sufferers, the plight of physicians). Gyllenhaal and Hathaway labored to make sense of the senseless, and the supporting actors seemed to be looking for the exits. Without the excessive nudity, there was no reason to sit through this mess. How did it ever get Oscar buzz?
The love story between Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway was believable and definitely the most developed aspect of the movie. The rest of plot seemed really weak. There were a couple scenes that were never explained and in my opinion were completely unnecessary (i.e., the slumber party). I also thought the movie did a horrible job of portraying the late 1990s. No one had cell phones that were that thin – no one.
@Pete, I agree regarding the Oscar buzz on this. Sometimes I really wonder how flicks like this and more especially,”For Colored Girls,” could have ever been considered in the mix. Tyler Perry is a certified hack, and “actresses” like Janet Jackson and Macy Gray could not have possibly been hoping for Oscar recognition. They are not actresses. Don’t know what word I would use, but even celebrity seems a stretch. Macy Gray??????????????? After the jaw-dropping scenes in “Shadowboxer,” and “Training Day,” she is no closer to an Oscar caliber performer than Pia Zadora ever was.
Gee, I thought the cars, furniture, hair, make-up, and clothes depicted were bang-on 1996-ish.
After seeing this movie yesterday, I am still perplex why this film is at 42% on Rottentomatoes – beyond ridiculous. 42% in my mind is : GI-Joe, Aniston films, most Adam Sandler movies, and many of M. Night Shyamalan films. Definitely, LAOD should not be included with these group of hideous films. Now, don’t get me wrong, this film does not deserve an Oscar nomination, and it is not perfect. But, I thoroughly enjoyed myself.
It is so rare for a Big Studio to produce an adult love story story that is actually intelligent, funny, touching, real, emotional, complex, compelling, and sexy- all at the same time. This film may be my most favorite
Big- Studio adult rom-com since “Defintiely , Maybe”.
Anne Hathaway has never been more sexier, more effortlessly assertive, more hilarious, and more fascinating to watch . She truly handled her incredibly wordy & difficult dialogue with impressive ease. I just love the way Anne underplays this part and brings a rich nuance to this acting turn . This is Jake Gyllenhaal’s most soulful and charming performance to date, and he really grows into his manhood in this movie- which makes him always a joy to watch in this movie.
The brilliant chemistry between Jake & Anne is the best I have seen in years . They compliment each so well. The connection and affection between these two always felt natural and sizzling hot. Because of their undeniable chemistry and their standout performances . they help make this film memorable and entertaining- and also make up for most of the film’s flaws. I just kept rooting for these characters to have romantic bliss, which is a testament to both Jake & Anne.
But, I do wish Ed Zwick would have : cut the length of this movie, removed the lazy montages , deleted the car chasing scene, eliminated much of the music, revealed more details of the disease and the cutthroat world of the medical / pharmaceutical industries. Also, I desired more screentime for : Hank Azaria, Gabriel Macht, Judy Greer, and Oliver Platt . They brought much to the few scenes they were in.
P.S. I will give this movie a B .
john t. – exactly. The movie is far from perfect. I would have made a plethera of changes, as well.
But I honestly think it’s a decent movie with great moments interspersed. I’ve seen every romcom down the pike this year, and I feel this one exceeds those by a margin.
I’ve seen both 127 Hours and Love & Other Drugs in the past three days in theaters and honestly LAOD is the movie that I am still thinking about. I may have been more impressed with the filmmaking in 127 Hours, and James Franco’s incredible performance overall, but there was something so endearing about Jake and Anne that I can’t seem to shake. It is actually quite perplexing b/c as a whole I enjoyed the film but had many problems with it to the point that I thought I would delete it from my memory quick. But it has some strange power that is not letting me shake it, and kinda makes me want to watch it again actually.
” john t. said… After seeing this movie yesterday, I am still perplex why this film is at 42% on Rottentomatoes – beyond ridiculous. 42% in my mind is : GI-Joe, Aniston films, most Adam Sandler movies ” . LOVE AND OTHER DRUGS’s place is definitely among those movies, as dreadful and Jake Gyllenhaal’s acting is awful.
JJ1 & Michael, I agree . Jake & Anne are both very intoxicating and addictive in this movie . I also can’t get them out of my mind, and may go see this movie again during it’s theatrical release. Hopefully, Gyllenhaal & Hathaway will team-up and do many films together- it is such a rarity to find two romantic leads that sizzle so much on camera.
I don’t comprehend anyone stating , “Jake Gyllenhaal’s acting is awful” in this movie.
Even though I didn’t like the movie (please see previous post), I thought it was very fake and contrived; however, I think Jake is a very good actor. I did like his work MUCH more than Anne Hathaway whom I consider very overrated (I also found her character unsympathetic and one-note; other than her love of sex and great breasts, I didn’t understand what Jake’s character saw in her).
I really would like to see Jake in a great film again. How long has it been since Brokeback Mountain? Zodiac was also a good film but he was a bit miscast in it.
This movie was fine. I enjoyed and was entertained. Why people are NOT predicting Hathaway for a nomination is beyond me. I thought she was great in this. IT GIRL, good acting and lots of nudity….she is in.
This isn’t a BP nominee or screenplay but I thought the acting was great.
Lanie, Hathaway’s role is a very tough, in-your-face , brutally honest type of character, so that is why she comes off as mostly unsympathetic. Maggie only sought sympathy from Jamie when her physical suffering was unbearable- which is understandable. Why can’t an actress portray an unsympathetic character ? I’m tired of adult actresses always playing the same non-threatening, girl -next-door type of roles.
Even though most critics loathe this movie ( which I still don’t understand) , they are praising both Jake & Anne’s performances. For the most part, Anne Hathaway is the heart of this film. She really made me believe she had Parkinson’s disease – especially the montage scene when she was getting special tests by the doctors. The way she was moving her body like a Parkinson’s patient. That was such a harrowing scene. Anne brilliantly pulled-off the technical and physical aspects of her character . I didn’t see anything one -note about the Maggie role.
Jamie pursued Maggie because of : physical attraction, she was a challenge, her charisma, intelligence, independent-minded, not a pushover, profoundly sexual , and he had incredible chemistry with her. Basically, he considered her his equal.
I think if the reviews were even a hair better, Hathaway would be in contention (top 7 or so).
She’s young, hot, nominated recently, and got good ink.
Anyone know the cinemascore of LAOD? And where can one find the scores for movies on cinemascore? link, etc.
I always pre-screen movies through rotten tomatoes, which has usually served me well in the past, so I was a little weary about spending my money on it. My obsession with the leads led me to the theatre though, and I wasn’t disappointed. Sure, it wasn’t Brokeback or Prada, but I was laughing and crying and didn’t look at the time once. The acting was magnificent and I didn’t sense the awkwardness others are so rampant about. Critics are being a little rough this time around.
I agree, Ana. Many of the tonal changes/awkwardness that the critcs and a lot of people here saw, I just didn’t see or feel. The movie was far from perfect, but I’d be straining (personally) to find reasons to dislike it.