“Love and Other Drugs” Review

Here is a terrible movie that starts off as an overly-written comedy about a handsome drug salesman, who hate-fucks every beautiful woman in sight, and ends up as manipulative pile of drivel along the lines of the infamous “Saved by the Bell” episode where Jesse takes uppers.  If you think you could cheer for a scumbag blessed with genetics that get him laid at will and a personality that most women claim to hate but secretly crave… then this might be the film for you.  After all, who doesn’t want to see the gorgeous silver-spooned asshole, who treats women like cum-receptacles and sells over-priced drugs to the sick, depressed and dying, get the girl and find true happiness?

“Love and Other Drugs” is one of the more despicable movies of 2010.  I can’t really believe that I am saying that.  After all, Ed Zwick is a great director.  Anne Hathaway and Jake Gyllenhaal are both very talented and charming.  I fully expected to enjoy this film immensely.  Throw in copious amounts of the glorious Anne Hathaway in the buff and it all sounds like a winner… right?  I couldn’t have been more wrong.

There are a few positives.  Anne Hathaway is typically brilliant.  She is a daring young actress who can do everything.  She is one of the few actresses who could pull a compliment out of me for this role.  Gyllenhaal is solid too.  His character is a shithead, but he performs the part well.  And the film is relatively fast-paced.  Unfortunately, the film confuses a fast pace for manic humor.

The fault for this abysmal disaster lays squarely at the feet of the writers and the director.  I haven’t run across many movies as ill-conceived as this one.  It is tonally messy, never managing to balance the comedy with the supposed drama.  It is generally unfunny and compounds the problem by basking in smug satisfaction after every joke.  It devolves into a preachy sermon, which rings hollow and false in every way.  I hated this film.  I hated the characters.  I hated the obvious messages.  I hated the humor.

“Love and Other Drugs” is a film I fully expected to be one of the more entertaining of the year.  Instead it ranks as one of the most miserable and depressing.  The only reason it averts the dreaded Zero Star Rating is the repeated appearance of Anne Hathaway’s many delectable talents.