Share And Share Alike (Film Review: Thanks For Sharing)

Sometimes I wonder how and why some films get made. Like, I wish I were a fly in that pitch meeting wherein the director says he wants to make a movie about sex addicts. I mean, besides the titillating factor of it, do we really want to watch a movie about recovering sex addicts? "Thanks For Sharing" sounds interesting in theory but the resulting movie is a bit of a mess. This is the kind of movie I love to support: its directed by Stuart Blumberg, who co-wrote the fantastic "The Kids Are Alright." And it employs a great cast led by Mark Ruffalo and Gwyneth Paltrow. The film follows a group of people in a sex addicts on a twelve-step program, and their daily struggle.

I always say that I loathe Paltrow's public persona but I really do think she is a great actress. In here, she really isn't given much to do (it's kind of a thankless do-nothing role) but she still makes an impact. And speaking of loathe, I despised Josh Gad with a passion on stage on "The Book Of Mormon" and he is just as charmless and annoying here. Pink (Alecia Moore) fares better - she gives one of the best performances in the ensemble cast, though I do think she isn't photogenic at all. The films ultimately belongs to Ruffalo - he is charm personified here, and you kind of get why he gets sex easily, partly causing his addiction. 

The film is unmemorable, though. The tone is all over the place. It's a drama, and a comedy, and you are left a little puzzled as to how to feel. While the characters are well-fleshed, their stories are too ordinary to make an impact.