Review of Sleeping with Other People (2015) by Alice S — 11 May 2016

One of those movies, like "Friends With Benefits," that purports to break romcom genre conventions...and it does...quite wonderfully for a minute...then kinda weirdly for an unnecessarily large part of the film. Alison Brie and Jason Sudeikis play platonic besties to charmingly drugged effect. That moment when they admit to themselves that they're in perfect, agenda-less love with each other is so achingly beautiful, and it's such a waste that *spoilers (but as if you couldn't see it coming)* they end up together like every other Harry and Sally pairing instead of making good on the movie's second act premise that all Lainey and Jake want from their friendship is to teach each other how to love.

The other plot point that tries to break genre is Lainey's addictive and abusive relationship with creepy doctor Matthew played by Adam Scott in over-stoic mode, which worked really well for his dramatic performance in "The Vicious Kind," but here, just smacks of a nothing character. Maybe that's who Matthew is, but there's gotta be a hint as to why Lainey was so obsessed for so much of the movie. The tonal shift from dorm hijinx to emotional Stockholm Syndrome is just inconsistent, as is the brief glimpse of true pathos juxtaposed with the baity, sex-sells title.