Love and Other Drugs

Up and coming drugs-rep Jamie (Gyllenhaal) has one goal: to be to get that dream apartment in Chicago. And he knows the way to get it is to use his charm and charisma on the unsuspecting opposite sex. On his way to schmooze his next client, he didn’t expect to meet the sexually candid Maggie (Hathaway), someone who sees right through him. But who says that’s a bad thing? Who says a woman can’t be just looking for a good time too?

Based on the book Hard Sell: The Evolution of a Viagra Salesman, this is a refreshingly adult romantic comedy to which some would say that the trailers do not do it justice. There are a lot of interesting debates running through the film: the idea of non-committal relationships, the early, uncharted success of Viagra and the sometimes dubious role drug reps played in the industry. Few of these motifs are normally associated with romantic comedy, so it’s easy to see the potential for a deeper dissection of the genre in Love and Other Drugs.

Some audiences may be surprised by the bolder, more intimate scenes often found more at home in European cinema rather than the more prudish sex scenes usually found in glossy Hollywood films, but you may be less shocked to learn that the director is the same man behind such blockbusters as Blood Diamond and The Last Sumurai.

you are a die-hard rom-com fan then this probably isn’t for you; it’s not your usual variety of cheesy romance. But if you want something daring, different and engaging then Love and Other Drugs comes highly recommended.

Samilia Ekeocha