What to See This Weekned

Do you want to see:

A female lead?

-The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1
-Beyond the Lights

Written or co-written by a woman?

-Gone Girl
-Beyond the Lights
-The Sleepwalker (Limited)

Directed by a woman?

-Beyond the Lights
-The Sleepwalker (Limited)

Review #39 Sex Tape

Release Date: July 18th, 2014
Writer: Kate Angelo, Jason Segel, Nicholas Stoller
Director: Jake Kasdan

Logline: A married couple wake up to discover that the sex tape they made the evening before has gone missing, leading to a frantic search for its whereabouts. (Source IMDb)

Comedy, 94min. 

Bechdel Test: Weak weak weak pass. (Annie asks her Mom to watch their kids)

Review

America loves a dirty R-rated comedy! And A-list celebrities! And wacky jokes... and... awkward situations.... and this movie kind of sucks. It's not funny, or memorable, or even very entertaining. This is one tired movie.

I hate complaining about a comedy with a bad premise, because I often argue that no one goes to a comedy for the story, they go to laugh. Sex Tape is just such a predictable drag. There are long scenes of serious exposition butted up against cartoonish scenes of slapstick jokes. It doesn't come together. There's no pacing and no focus.

It's as if you combined Zach and Miri Make a Porno with Home Alone. Both good movies individually. Combined they don't work. It's the seriousness of an adult comedy where trying to balance a home life and social life goes awry, with the silly antics of a someone breaking into a mansion and discovering elaborate booby-traps. It sets up the audience and misfires completely. There's no sincerity or emotion in Sex Tape. No social commentary, no twists or unexpected surprises. It's a film that rests entirely on embarrassing adults who are trying to avoid being embarrassed.

Underneath the bad taste that Sex Tape leaves behind, there are some elements that could have become a great film. I may not be a big Cameron Diaz fan but she does a good job, and has good chemistry with Jason Segel. Rob Corddry and Ellie Kemper seemed tremendously underused. They were often the "straight guy" couple to the wacky couple, which is crazy considering they are two of the funniest comedians working in movies.

Overall, this is a big MISS. A major disappointment for Segel, and another predictable turn for Diaz who has made unusual romcoms her bread and butter.

Portrayal of Women: I was quite surprised when I asked myself this question because the film is about a couple, and the supporting cast is of their friends and coworkers. It seemed rather balanced, but when I thought about the Bechdel Test I realized I was wrong. In the film, Jay's is his own boss, with a female assistant, and when he is off the clock he talks about anything with his friend Robbie. Annie, on the hand, writes a blog where she talks about her relationship and family, tries to sell it to a male boss and only talks to her friend Tess about her relationship and family. Not exactly balanced.

Sisterhood Moment: I think this goes to the supporting cast. I really thought it was hilarious when Jay and Annie stormed into Robbie and Tess's home only to discover it was their anniversary that they weren't even celebrating, they were watching TV. Rob Corddry and Ellie Kemper were wonderfully nonchalant about their own lives, and then super excited to go on an adventure with their friends to rescue the iPads. Who isn't excited to get out of the house?

Rating: 1 tablet out of the whole Apple Store.

IMDb - Sex Tape (5.1)
Wikipedia - Sex Tape
Rotten Tomatoes - Sex Tape (18%)