After the subject of sex addiction was handled so brilliantly, and bleakly, in Shame, it is hard to imagine how Thanks For Sharing can navigate the same path with a lighter touch. Set in the same support group, we follow three separate story threads: five years sober Adam (Mark Ruffalo) is embarking on a relationship with Phoebe (Gwyneth Paltrow), unsure of how to proceed. The group's father figure Mike (Tim Robbins) has to deal with the return of his addict son (Patrick Fugit), opening old wounds. And seemingly hopeless case Neil (Josh Gad) has to dig deep and take the group seriously after losing his job as a doctor. While it does treat it's subject matter very seriously, but first time director Stuart Blumberg has delivered an terribly unbalanced movie, not knowing whether it's a comedy or drama.
For the most part, Thanks For Sharing is entertaining, hanging on by the virtue of its impressive cast alone. The tone is all over the place, one minute it is typical romantic comedy fluff, Ruffalo and Paltrow's overly cute pairing almost sickening at times, then it does a 180 and confronts us with a scene of a character's distressing self destruction, then expects us to laugh again a scene later, most likely at the buffoonish Neil getting into another scrape (though he does prove to be the most likable character in the entire movie). The least interesting story, Adam and Phoebe, gets the most screen time, with Paltrow and Ruffalo not showing any chemistry together. In fact, Ruffalo comes across quite stilted and wooden at times, not really coming into his own until the story takes a dark turn and he is given some real meat to sink his teeth into, really lighting up the screen. That's the case for the entire movie, it works better focusing on the drama, introducing several other problem factors in the characters lives, including Neil's weight issue, and the fact that Mike has been battling alcoholism for the past 15 years. The decision to mix in comedy does the story a disservice, coming in at the most inopportune moments. A note to everybody, if you want a scene to have any emotional punch, you don't inter cut it with another scene of a fat man running across New York, set to The Heavy's How You Like Me Now.
As I said, Ruffalo takes his time to get going, and Paltrow is no better. There scenes together come across like the most awkward romantic comedy ever, with Phoebe nothing more than a bag of various quirks that could have lent the movie some more weight if fully explored. They are explored, but it all happens of screen, and is explained away in a throw away line. Robbins is compelling, even though his character spends most of his time spouting cliches about dealing with addiction (but he is called out on this in one of the movies smartest exchanges). His story could have doen with some more development, especially the relationship with his wife (Joely Richardson), which feels like a wasted opportunity, especially the little tid bits that are dropped about what he put her through at the height of his addiction. Josh Gad ends up stealing the show, his character becoming much more than the comic relief, but still delivering some good laughs. Neil is really the only character that has anything close to character development, and his budding friendship with fellow sex addict DeeDee (Alicia Moore, who is more well known as pop star Pink) blows Adam and Phoebe's relationship out of the water.
Although it treats it's subject matter with the right amount of respect, Thanks For Sharing suffers from a identity crisis, not really finding the right balance between drama and comedy, but is saved by an impressive cast.
For the most part, Thanks For Sharing is entertaining, hanging on by the virtue of its impressive cast alone. The tone is all over the place, one minute it is typical romantic comedy fluff, Ruffalo and Paltrow's overly cute pairing almost sickening at times, then it does a 180 and confronts us with a scene of a character's distressing self destruction, then expects us to laugh again a scene later, most likely at the buffoonish Neil getting into another scrape (though he does prove to be the most likable character in the entire movie). The least interesting story, Adam and Phoebe, gets the most screen time, with Paltrow and Ruffalo not showing any chemistry together. In fact, Ruffalo comes across quite stilted and wooden at times, not really coming into his own until the story takes a dark turn and he is given some real meat to sink his teeth into, really lighting up the screen. That's the case for the entire movie, it works better focusing on the drama, introducing several other problem factors in the characters lives, including Neil's weight issue, and the fact that Mike has been battling alcoholism for the past 15 years. The decision to mix in comedy does the story a disservice, coming in at the most inopportune moments. A note to everybody, if you want a scene to have any emotional punch, you don't inter cut it with another scene of a fat man running across New York, set to The Heavy's How You Like Me Now.
As I said, Ruffalo takes his time to get going, and Paltrow is no better. There scenes together come across like the most awkward romantic comedy ever, with Phoebe nothing more than a bag of various quirks that could have lent the movie some more weight if fully explored. They are explored, but it all happens of screen, and is explained away in a throw away line. Robbins is compelling, even though his character spends most of his time spouting cliches about dealing with addiction (but he is called out on this in one of the movies smartest exchanges). His story could have doen with some more development, especially the relationship with his wife (Joely Richardson), which feels like a wasted opportunity, especially the little tid bits that are dropped about what he put her through at the height of his addiction. Josh Gad ends up stealing the show, his character becoming much more than the comic relief, but still delivering some good laughs. Neil is really the only character that has anything close to character development, and his budding friendship with fellow sex addict DeeDee (Alicia Moore, who is more well known as pop star Pink) blows Adam and Phoebe's relationship out of the water.
Although it treats it's subject matter with the right amount of respect, Thanks For Sharing suffers from a identity crisis, not really finding the right balance between drama and comedy, but is saved by an impressive cast.
