Netflix UK film review: Thanks for Sharing
Review Overview
Comedy!
6Drama!
6Sex addiction!
6Andrew Jones | On 27, Jan 2014
Director: Stuart Blumberg
Cast: Mark Ruffalo, Tim Robbins, Gwyneth Paltrow, Josh Gad
Certificate: 15
Watch Thanks for Sharing online in the UK: Netflix UK / TalkTalk TV / Apple TV (iTunes) / Rakuten TV / Sky Store
As Steve McQueen’s Shame showed the world, sex addiction isn’t all fun and games, even if you look like Mickey Fassbender. However, as serious a subject as addiction is, The Kids Are All Right co-writer Stuart Blumberg handles the darker side of it while telling a surprisingly light, sweet series of interwoven tales set in New York.
Mark Ruffalo is a handsome man who plays Adam, a man living like a monk, avoiding as much sex in the media as possible, when he meets Phoebe (Paltrow), a sparkly, fun lady who might just be the love of his life. Meanwhile, Mike (Robbins), the head honcho of the addiction meetings, deals with the unwelcome return of his pill-addicted son (Patrick Fugit) at home, and Josh Gad is a reckless young man forced to attend meetings after doing some bad things on the subway. But when other newcomer, Dede (Alecia Moore, aka. Pink), asks his help, he begins to take the role of supporter very seriously.
What Thanks For Sharing mostly resembles is a frothy comic drama with strong ties to the rom-com genre. While that might seem like a lazy and almost inept way to handle a subject like this, it’s a thankful reprieve from the harsher realities of addiction; despite some pre-requisite third act darkness, we can enjoy the company of these characters and their mostly pleasant lives as they get over that big hump. The film that springs to mind most is 2006’s Trust The Man, another ensemble movie that has big bouts of humour and yet never stops being a quality drama that can land a hefty emotional punch when required. Thanks For Sharing isn’t quite up there in that sense (the emotional moments are a little too manipulated into the act structure), but the comic beats work well enough to make that a little less noticeable.
Although it’s hardly one of last year’s best films, Thanks for Sharing a strong slice of light entertainment for the weekend, with glossy stars doing lovey-dovey things – and some rather risque stuff thrown in for good measure. (And, for anyone who obsesses about Marvel fan fiction, you can pretend it’s Pepper Potts and Bruce Banner going behind Tony Stark’s back.)
You may not remember much once the end credits begin, but there’s a high chance you will end up with a smile on your face.
Thanks for Sharing is available on Netflix UK, as part of an £9.99 monthly subscription.