WHO’S IN IT?
Mark Ruffalo (Marvel’s The Avengers), Tim Robbins (The Shawshank Redemption), Gwyneth Paltrow (Iron Man), Josh Gad (Love & Other Drugs), Joey Richardson (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), Alecia Moore (Get Him To The Greek), Patrick Fugit (Almost Famous), Carol Kane (Annie Hall), Michaela Watkins (In A World…)
WHO’S BEHIND THE CAMERA?
Stuart Blumberg (film debut), director, co-writer; Matt Winston (film debut), co-writer; Miranda de Pencier (Beginners), David Koplan (Winter Passing), Bill Migliore (Leaves of Grass), Leslie Urdang (Rabbit Hole) and Dean Vanech (The Oranges), producers; Christopher Lennertz (Horrible Bosses), composer; Yaron Orbach (Our Idiot Brother), cinematographer; Anne McCabe (Adventureland), editor
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
Adam (Ruffalo), Mike (Robbins) and Neil (Gad) are all at different stages of dealing with their addiction to sex – Adam struggles to hold onto his celibacy as he woos the smart and beautiful Phoebe (Paltrow); Mike tries to maintain control over his wife (Richardson) and son (Fugit) without his urges getting in the way; and Neil, who is in denial about his problem, strikes up a friendship with fellow addict Dede (Moore) – but together, they will all help each other get over their problems and start to build new lives for themselves…
WHY SHOULD YOU BE EXCITED?
Hot off his Oscar nomination for co-writing the script to feel-good family drama The Kids Are All Right, Stuart Blumberg now makes his directorial debut with a comedy-drama that dives into the world of sex addicts.
But those hoping for the kind of dark and haunting exploration that Michael Fassbender went through in Steve McQueen’s Shame might be disappointed by this film’s much more upbeat and engaging tone. This is more of an ensemble piece, with Mark Ruffalo and Gwyneth Paltrow just part of its starry line-up – plus, Marvel über-fans will undoubtedly watch and think “Someone inform Tony Stark, Bruce Banner’s having intimate relations with Pepper Potts!” Actually, thinking about it, don’t call Stark – Banner’s not the best person to start a fight with.
Superhero fandom aside, the cast has other heavy additions like Tim Robbins, Josh Gad and, in one of her first lead roles as an actress, Alecia Moore. That’s right, Pink is in this movie (or P!nk or however you want to stylise it) and while this is not her debut as an actual actress after various cameos and a co-lead in little-seen horror film Catacombs, it is definitely one of her first mainstream central performances. Fans of hers will of course be excited to see what she’s like on the big screen, and early buzz suggests she nails it.
The big issue that the film has to tackle is that of sex addiction, however just because Thanks For Sharing has a lighter look to it than other films with similar explorations doesn’t mean it can shy away from the harder facts of the situation. Anyone with familiarity of the subject will probably know that it is being treated as a serious problem, almost as much as drug or alcohol abuse. While the first thing they may think of might not necessarily be a star-filled dramady from the co-writer of The Kids Are All Right, they may appreciate that something as dark and troublesome as sex addiction can be approached with something resembling a smile or two. You can’t honestly be unhappy and depressed about this kind of thing full time; you need something that you can at least watch to make you see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Thankfully, that’s where Thanks For Sharing comes in to raise your spirits about a relatively-dark subject. It may not be for everyone, which is a shame because there are some good actors on board as well, but hopefully it can find an audience that can appreciate exactly what it’s trying to do.
