Review of Thanks for Sharing (2013) by Kevin H — 13 Jan 2014

Thanks for Sharing is a movie split between two tones. It can't tell what it wants to be, a sentimental, indie rom-com or a serious depiction of sex addiction. There are times where writer/director Stuart Blumberg really delves into the subject matter, and at those times the film is actually pretty decent. Unfortunately, the movie flounders in its predilection for indie movie tropes and the poor chemistry between Ruffalo and Paltrow's characters.

I really wasn't interested in Paltrow and Ruffalo's romance. I found they're puppy love flirtations to simply be annoying, and so I didn't really care whether they stuck it out or not. I did find Ruffalo's performance to be interesting, but couldn't stand his character arc. It felt so formulaic for him to go the direction he went.

The character and performer that I enjoyed the most was Josh Gad's new to the program addict. Gad has a raw honesty that makes him endearing, and I really felt like his character was the heart of the first 45 minutes. I wish he had more to do other than deal with the worst character in the film, Alicia Moore's tough girl. I could have done without her in this film.

There is a lot of good material here about the benefits of 12 step groups and community to help you get through your addiction. Plus, it was helpful to see a movie about addiction that had a hopeful twist. Even if the film didn't really deal with addiction with the weight it deserves, I did appreciate Blumberg's positive spin on recovery.

As a writer, I think Blumberg has some interesting ideas. I did find his dialogue to be a little weak, but overall I think he's a solid screenwriter (I really enjoyed The Kids Are Alright and The Girl Next Door). Unfortunately, he's not a strong enough director yet to handle a script or a cast of this magnitude. He doesn't seem capable of balancing all the different story threads in a way that is satisfying, and he leans too much on indie movie tropes like hipster characters and indie rock music.

There is some good material here, and a few interesting performances. Unfortunately, Thanks for Sharing is too shallow and uneven to be a great film.