Rent Love and Other Drugs (2010)

Love and Other Drugs review by Siva Kumar - Cinema Paradiso

Love and Other Drugs is a romantic comedy flick directed by Edward Zwick. Pharmaceutical salesman Jamie Randall (Jake Gyllenhaal), who works in Pfizer, is struggling to sell his product Zoloft with great effort. During this time, Pfizer introduced Viagra into the market (the film is set in the 1990s). Jamie becomes a much sought after seller after he starts selling Viagra. Meanwhile, his love life with Parkinson’s affected Maggie (Anne Hathaway) takes a toll.

This movie is quite different from other romantic comedies because the female lead here is affected by Parkinson’s. Some of the interesting facts about the healthcare system are portrayed in a comic way. For instance, Jamie has to use his womanizing skills to get access to the doctors and gets his products placed on the shelf. The romantic relationship between the lead characters is also portrayed amazingly. The transformation of Jamie from being a womanizer to a passionate lover is quite sensitive.

The performance by the lead actors is great. Jake Gyllenhaal suits perfectly as the womanizer salesman Jamie. The scene in which he tries to sell Zolosoft is very much hilarious. Anne Hathaway shows an amazing transformation to fit in the Parkinson’s affect lover girl character. There are other notable performances by supporting actors as well.

Some of the subplots in the movie didn’t fit very well. The adult romance scenes between the lead pair are exciting and fit very well in the movie. The movie can be credited for narrating a romantic comedy in an unusual environment. In a nutshell, the movie is perfect romantic comedy with a different plot.