First of all let me begin by saying I chose not to put the poster for this film up on this blog as I found it rather offensive, it firstly makes the film look like an awful rom-com and secondly is the most unimaginative and clichéd poster. So, to return to my first point, after seeing said poster and equally awful trailer, what possessed me to see this film? I am not a fan of mediocre romantic comedies that have nothing new to offer but I am a fan of romantic comedies that are imaginative and actually funny, unfortunately there are few of the latter. Occasionally I will take a chance and watch one in the hope it will be the latter rather than the former. ‘Love and Other Drugs’ I am surprised to say is definitely the latter. The marketing of this film really does not do it any justice and I was extremely surprised to find out the female lead character, played by Anne Hathaway, has Parkinson’s and also the whole film is not about Jake Gyllenhaal’s character selling Viagra. There is a slightly clichéd love story at the centre of the film but I found it refreshing that the rest of the story was interesting, different and thought-provoking.
Gyllenhaal’s Jamie is a charismatic and charming character who finds himself working for a pharmaceutical company where it is his job to charm doctors, their receptionists’ et al into prescribing their drugs rather than their competitors. Along the way he meets Maggie (Hathaway), a young artist who suffers from Parkinson’s. Neither character is the settling down type but, as with all rom-coms, things change as they start to fall for each other. Due to the subject matter there are some quite moving parts in this film and I think it is a tremendous achievement for Hollywood to address such a little known and misunderstood disease in a film that has 2 Hollywood stars as well-known and loved as Gyllenhaal and Hathaway. Perhaps because my expectations were so low for this film, I actually enjoyed it and I wonder, if I had known more about it and not been seduced by the marketing, if I would have enjoyed it so much. Gyllenhaal and Hathaway do a good job and the film has interesting subject matter where the love story feels like a by-product rather than the main attraction. This is not ever going to be in my favourites list but it was surprising and that element alone allows me to have respect for it and recommend it to other people.
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