[Movie Review] Sleeping with Other People (2015)
Director: Leslye Headland
Writer: Leslye Headland
Runtime: 95 min
Main Cast:
- Jason Sudeikis as Jake
- Alison Brie as Lainey
- Adam Scott as Matthew
- Amanda Peete as Paula
- Natasha Lyonne as Kara
Review: by Heidi
I originally decided that I wanted to see this movie for two reasons. First it’s a romantic comedy, clearly the best genre of all time, and second, Will Ferrell was one of the producers. I figured I had nothing to lose except maybe an evening of life, so I went for it. I must say that after seeing the movie I do not at all regret my decision. The movie was hilarious. Jason Sudeikis and Alison Brie created the perfect dysfunctional non-couple/couple pairing. From Friends with Benefits and No Strings Attached to 13 Going on 30, Sleeping with Other People gives another, funnier (way funnier), tale of a two people completely oblivious to the relationship they are already in.
Jake, a Columbia University student, saves a younger female student, Lainey, from being kicked out of the school dormitory for trespassing. They spend one fleeting night together and never speak again…until they find themselves at the same sex addict meeting over a decade later. Both are complete failures at maintaining relationships. Lainey is a compulsive cheater and Jake is well…a hoe. They decide after one date that they would rather be friends than be in a relationship and inevitably screw it up. We watch their friendship develop as they help each other deal with their relationship problems, and grow into what everyone else perceives as a romance. They shop together, take walks in the park, attend birthday parties, cuddle, watch movies together, and every other thing an actual couple would do. Once they begin to realize that they have feelings for each other they must choose whether or not acting on their feelings is worth the risk of possibly reverting back to their old ways and losing their friendship.
What I Liked:
Like stated earlier, I thought the movie was hilarious. From the very first scene I was dying of laughter. Jake was by far my favorite character, chalked full of charm and witty comebacks he kept the jokes rolling throughout the entire film. Everyone in the movie had their moment in the comedic spotlight, including Jake’s best friend and his wife played by Jason Mantzoukas and Margaret Odette. As I said Rom-Com’s are my favorite and this movie had the perfect mix of the two (more comedy than romance). I also enjoyed the fact that even though we’ve seen similar stories told every which way, there were moments when I wasn’t sure exactly how it would play out.
What I Didn’t Like:
I was not necessarily fond all of the unnecessary sex scenes. The movie definitely earned its R rating, but hey while it’s not my cup of tea it may be yours. Other than that the plot seemed drawn out at times and I found myself wondering how much longer it would be before they realized how idiotic they were being.
Summary
All in all if you are into comedies or romance movies separately or combined I’d say this is worth a watch. It’s definitely a lot less sappy than you’re typical movie of this type but it has enough to keep us hopeless romantics happy. And did I mention it was hilarious? Just make sure to leave the kids at home for this one.
User Review
( votes)Images Courtesy of IMDB
