A quirky but significant ensemble comedy that focuses on sex addiction, as seen thru the eyes of Adam (Mark Ruffalo) who reteams with his screenwriter, Stuart Blumberg, from their Oscar nominated The Kids Are Allright. This time Blumberg directs with an eye for detail and plenty of Manhattan eye candy.
This story gets right to the heat of the addiction issue and Ruffalo’s character being five years sober upon scene one. His sponsor is Mike (Tim Robbins) a married man who can’t seem to take fault for anything instead hypocritically blaming the world for his shortcomings. The two men try to find humor in their “take it one day at a time” existence and for anybody out there who’s dealt with alcohol, drug, or any type of addiction the film is spot-on in its 12 step approach.
Ruffalo and Robbins are joined by a third addict named Neil (Josh Gad) a Medical doctor who adds to their struggle from an initial angle of denial and sarcasm before a very humbling scene where he crashes with an audience-addicting honesty. Robbins is married to Katie (Joely Richardson) and has a son with a deeply troubled past, while Ruffalo is single and challenged by his first monogamous relationship with the gorgeous Phoebe (Gwenyth Paltrow,)…the screen literally igniting from their instant chemistry. The third guy, Josh Gad, also a bachelor – though less desirable than Ruffalo – falls for another addict played by PINK.
We learn things along the way. And its thanks mostly to Ruffalo’s performance delivered with humility, sensitivity and integrity. Emotions often run scared and out of control, and mainly, unlike cancer which draws sympathy, addiction often draws judgment. By the time the film ends, we feel for these heroic beings who take it one day at a time. It’s a story for anyone whose lives have been touched by the world after recovery. Whether you’re the addict or the spouse/family member living sober doesn’t mean staying cured. And when and if you crash again, you have to start from step one. In the end, a highly respectable film. ♕ ♚ ♛ 1/2