Review of Thanks for Sharing (2013) by Steve P — 04 Oct 2013

To call this movie a romantic comedy (as I have seen done) is to completely misrepresent this movie. While it has some romance and some humorous moments, this is a long way from romantic comedy. It is a quite remarkable story primarily of a number of men who are all struggling with some form of addiction. The majority of the film focuses on sexual addiction but some of the subplots deal with women and other forms of addiction - including those of us who think we don't have any addictions and look judgementally on those who do. It's a powerful exploration that is honest and complex. At times, there are moments of unbelievability but with.

Ruffalo and Paltrow teaming up for the central storyline, that doesn't seem to matter. The acting is good and the supporting staff, including an ageing Tim Robbins playing a self-righteous father dealing with a previously difficult son, are great. There is some pretty confronting material here, but it's reassuring to see stories of vulnerable, struggling men balancing out the constant macho images we often see in cinema. I highly recommend this movie and perhaps we can all improve our understanding of those who secretly struggle with potent forces in our psyches and, more than that, acknowledge that we are all flawed - even though we might not find it easy to admit it.