SLEEPING WITH OTHER PEOPLE: Leaves You Satisfied

We currently live in an age where the classic rom-com has become taboo. Jerry Maguire and When Harry Met Sally have been traded out for Trainwreck and now Sleeping with Other People. The problem with this new modern movement is that the emotional heart of the original 80s and 90s films are mostly lost. Luckily, this time around we have Alison Brie and Jason Sudeikis at the core of what is a surprisingly in-depth and heartfelt film.

Love at First Lay

Lainey (Brie) and Jake (Sudeikis) used to be old college friends with benefits who ended up losing their virginity to one another. After that fateful night, Lainey disappeared resulting in Jake having commitment issues and sleeping around with just about anyone. Lainey does not fare much better, being the subject to more than one hookup that results in her getting the shaft (wink). Both find themselves being overly fond of sex and happen to attend the same sex addict rehab meeting. The two run into each other and go out to catch up and see how the other is doing, only to find that their situations are fairly similar. In classic rom-com style, the two are obviously perfect for each other but quickly put themselves in a friend zone so that they can try to help the other explore their capacity for romance.

Right off the bat you can tell that director Leslye Headland knows what she is doing when demonstrating the strange relationship between the leads. The connection between the two never feels forced and the script is paced enough to where I never felt like a character acted out of place. When our characters have sex (and they have A LOT of sex) the camera is shoved directly into their faces, making for a somewhat uncomfortable viewing. Strange though it may be, this direction appears to be done on purpose to better show the constantly present strangeness of doing the deed with someone you barely know. When it comes time to leave the scene, angles are frantic, the actors rushed, and the pacing rushed. Almost every shot has a purpose to it and that is admirable because it would’ve have been way easier to go with a bunch of establishing frames of attractive actors getting it on.

But the main attraction of this picture lies directly with its two main characters. Alison Brie in particular is fantastic. She switches on a dime from being a caring and loving friend to a crazed and wild sex addict. Sudeikis is fine but most of his memorable moments are when he is allowed to hit off of Brie. Too often he comes off as asinine and that feeling detracts from the film’ s desired message concerning his character that he cares deeply for people, despite using women.

The supporting cast definitely has its moments but ultimately falls into the background. Adam Scott from Parks and Recreation is particularly funny but inexplicably forced to rein in a lot of his trademark quirkiness for his character. Still, I give props to the screenwriter for at least making sure that every character has their mark, even if it is sometimes just to highlight the relationship between the leads.

A Game Changer

Raunchy romance films are nothing new, but in today’s modern film era there are few that have characters that are believable and even fewer that make you care about them. Sleeping With Other People finally takes the time to flesh out motivations and motives for different characters rather than just play the “will they, won’t they” trope again. There is more than one moment where the script feels like it is trying to appeal to too many different audiences, but they are hard to notice because you have already become so engrossed in Jake and Lainey’s story.

Most romances flicks of today focus on showcasing “modern” relationships and leaving old 80s fantasies in the past (like the disastrous Friends with Benefits). That is fine as long as you don’t forget to still make the characters believable (which Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis were not). Though it could be said we are much more cynical today, all of us have cheesy dreams and hopes about the person we hope to one day meet and love. The trick is balancing that cheesiness with a modern twist and Sleeping With Other People is the first film to do that successfully in the past five years.

Rather than have a female lead that is way too clingy and a male that is an asshole to women, Jake and Lainey come off more as overtly eager and simultaneously afraid like many people. Viewers are not automatically forced to side with one character or the other due to their sex (guys say she’s way too attached, girls say obviously he just doesn’t care about her). Lainey is not clingy, she just gets excited at the prospect of someone new in her life. Jake doesn’t go out of his way to disrespect women, he just doesn’t see the way he treats people as being absent-minded or hurtful.

However, despite the pair’s good intentions, that does not necessarily make them good people – even by the end of the movie. That is a new direction for the genre taken by director Headland that makes this movie worth the admission price. We are fooled into loving people who practically screw over everyone they meet, including each other. Jake for instance, is consistently trying to sleep with his boss even when he tells Lainey multiple times how important she is to him. And yet he is portrayed in a way that makes us love him and even feel sorry for his “struggle” of love. It’s an impressive feat making an audience love terrible people and it is thanks to a strong script and performances that they are able to pull it off, making for an almost revolutionary romance.

Should You Watch It?

Sleeping with Other People is a raunchy, fun comedy that redefines the genre of rom-com. You will come for the trademarked Adam McKay penis jokes but you will want to stay for the unexpected heart and feels that sneak up on you in the film’s surprisingly tender moments. Jason Sudeikis and Alison Brie are a perfect match that can rival the greats with their hilarious banter and wonderful chemistry. Gripping, heartfelt and fun, Sleeping with Other People is worth believing in.

Do you think Sleeping with Other People changed the game for Rom-Coms? Let us know in the comments!

Sleeping with Other People has been released on September 11 in the U.S., but won’t get a British release until January 1, 2016. For international release dates, check here.

(top image source: IFC Films)