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Let’s just get it out in the open right from the beginning, shall we? Anne Hathaway is naked in Love and Other Drugs. She spends quite a bit of time naked, in fact. Of course, there’s more to the film than just a naked Anne Hathaway, but it’s probably what people will remember most about it—and, for some people (like the smattering of lone 20-something guys who attended the same afternoon screening that I did), that’ll be enough to make it worth the price of admission. But in case you’re interested in more than just Anne Hathaway’s breasts, here’s the rest of the story:
Jake Gyllenhaal plays Jamie Randall, the ultimate salesman—an irresistibly charming troublemaker who can get customers to fork over their hard-earned cash just as easily has he can get women into his bed. So, after his indiscretions land him without a job, he decides to try pharmaceutical sales.
While trying to smooth-talk an influential doctor into prescribing Zoloft over Prozac, Jamie meets Maggie (Hathaway), a free-spirited young woman who’s been diagnosed with a debilitating disease. He’s finally met his match: a fun-loving woman who sees through his act but doesn’t care—because she wants the same commitment-free relationship that he does. But Jamie soon discovers that, this time, he wants more.
Loosely based on Jamie Reidy’s book, Hard Sell: The Evolution of a Viagra Salesman, Love and Other Drugs is a scattered and uneven rom-com, yet it still manages to retain much of its warmth and charm.
While it seems to promise an outrageous story about the big Viagra boom of the ‘90s (and the resulting benefits for a young, ambitious drug rep), that’s actually just a small part of the story, since Jamie doesn’t even start selling Viagra until well into the story. So, in the beginning, Love and Other Drugs is just an easy-going story about an easy-going guy whose only goal in life is to get laid—repeatedly and by whoever’s available at the time. It’s fun to watch the ever-charming Gyllenhaal as his character pulls out all the stops to make his quota and get the girls—and he has the perfect partner and lovably comedic sidekick in Oliver Platt’s Bruce.
The tone changes, however, when Jamie meets Maggie. For a while, it’s even more outrageous, as it explores the couple’s extremely (and surprisingly) physical relationship. And Hathaway spices things up with more than just her frequent nudity. She also exposes more of her acting chops as the frank and fast-talking Maggie (in a performance that might even remind you of Vera Farmiga’s Oscar-nominated turn in Up in the Air). Hathaway gives the film its heart—and she and Gyllenhaal work so well together that you’ll root for the couple to make it, despite the overwhelming obstacles in their way.
But when reality sets in—especially as it relates to Maggie’s illness—the story gets a bit heavy. And, from then on, any attempts to lighten the mood—either from the pointless antics of Jamie’s free-loading brother (played by Josh Gad) or the awkward Viagra-related comedy—seem completely out of place.
It’s hard to tell whether the true nature of Love and Other Drugs is the carefree comedy of its first half or the heartfelt drama of the latter half. In fact, the film could probably benefit from some free samples of bipolar disorder meds. Still, despite the story’s uneven tone (and the frequently distracting nudity), the charming co-stars and their undeniable chemistry make it an effective chick flick.
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