Love & Other Drugs

Jamie Randall (Jake Gyllenhaal) is a womanizing stereo salesman who got fired for sleeping with the bosses' girl. He's the black sheep of a successful family, and turns to selling pharma for Pfizer in 90s Pittsburgh. During a visit to a doctor, he meets Maggie Murdock (Anne Hathaway) who is suffering from early onset Parkinson's.

The backdrop of pharmaceutical sales may not be the best for a comedy. There are attempts at jokes especially some Viagra montages, but it's more eye opening than funny. Jake Gyllenhaal is a great actor who is trying to give humanity to this relatively unlikeable guy. Anne Hathaway adds on a layer of cynicism and anger. It's not an easy silly rom-com. Although I try to like this movie, the tone changes are just too difficult to take.

This film surprised me in a good way.

From the trailer and the posters to be found in many of the bus shelters of our town it would have been fair to have expected a routine rom-com. The pose struck by the leads Jake Gylenhall & Anne Hathaway on that poster just screamed "knock about rom-com,just like hundreds of others" It isn't though and that was a pleasant and engaging surprise.

Jake Gylenhall pulls off the role of super bright but super slacker son Jamie in a high achieving family well and is convincing as a magnetising presence that women find irresistible.

The absence of Anne Hathaway's character Maggie in the first segment of the film is the first suggestion that this will not be a routine paint by numbers romance and Maggie's introduction sets the scene for the complex character she successfully portrays.

This film covers a lot of ground and both of the leads are engaging and believable.

Issues such as serious illness, the workings of the big pharmaceutical companies and their attempts to influence the decision making of medical professionals, the struggle people have to pay for treatment and a believably complex love story are woven in without significant signposting or obvious plot twists.

Once again, the two lead actors were excellent and overall this made for an enjoyable and engaging film

On the surface, Love & Other Drugs appears to be a typical romantic comedy that follows the tried-and-true formula of a ladies' man, Jamie (played by Jake Gyllenhaal), falling in love with his latest hookup, Maggie (played by Anne Hathaway). However, what sets this movie apart from its contemporaries is its poignant exploration of Maggie's struggle with Parkinson's disease.

The movie can be divided into two halves: the first is a typical rom-com, complete with witty banter and charming flirtations between Jamie and Maggie. However, midway through the film, the tone takes a dramatic shift as the focus shifts to Maggie's struggles with her illness. The movie becomes intimate and shockingly raw as Jamie tries to cope with the future struggles he and Maggie will face together, while simultaneously portraying Maggie's struggle to let someone in and take care of her. This story really works and brought tears to my eyes near the end.

While the direction is pretty bland and lacks any real sense of style, the performances are strong. Both Hathaway and Gyllenhaal have excellent chemistry and play off each other perfectly. However, the real standout performance comes from Josh Gad, whose comedic timing is brilliant and whose scenes had me laughing out loud.

One aspect of the movie that detracts from its overall impact is the excessive use of nudity. Hathaway is shown topless in almost every scene, to the point where it feels quite predatory. While I am not sure if the choice to include this excessive nudity was made by the director or writing team, its frequency detracts from the intimacy of the characters' interactions and feels quite gratuitous.

Overall, Love & Other Drugs is a solid romantic comedy that attempts to do something a little different, which I can definitely appreciate. Its exploration of illness and its effects on relationships adds a layer of depth and emotion that the typical rom-com formula usually lacks.

Score: 70% 👍 Verdict: Good.

Despite what some may say, Love and Other Drugs wasn't like other romantic comedies I've seen except in the most general of senses, in that it was a romantic comedy. I hadn't seen one set in the environment of pharmaceutical sales or with a main character who had Parkinsons disease, a setting which is very interesting as there are a lot of things wrong with health care and the system today. It gives one something to chew on while watching the rest of the movie.

There's a lot to like about the relationship between Jamie and Maggie. They have a raw intensity and passion for each other that was a bit much for some viewers, but in my opinion it was there to show how connected they were both physically and mentally. I thought their banter and teasing nature was cute. Nobody got wounded or sulked when teased but just laughed and teased back. The initial attraction between them started as an understanding of each other's loneliness and vulnerability that allowed them to feel like someone else finally got them after easily charming others with nothing more than a fascade. Their relationship had passion, love, and a roller-coaster of emotions.

There was a scene midway through the movie where Maggie tells Jamie that even though she may have many other moments like the ones that she shared with him that it will never be as special or mean as much to her and my heart wanted to swell because I knew exactly what she meant and what it is like to love someone that much.

As they grew together, both characters changed and let go of their issues with commitment and love. They tore down the walls they'd built to protect themselves and just let themselves fall. It was beautiful to me and I really enjoyed Love & Other Drugs.

I enjoyed the chemistry between Gyllenhaal and Hathaway quite a bit. It's definitely the selling point of this film and makes it watchable. The story involving pharmaceutical companies and the healthcare industry is interesting, as is the late 90s setting. The film ultimately falls into typical rom com conventions though. However, the chemistry of the two leads and the focus on the struggle of Parkinson's help make this one slightly rise above the pack.