Love and Other Drugs: 'Smart, Sexy, Raunchy and Hilarious'

A couple of nights ago an advanced screening of Love and Other Drugs took place in Olathe, near Kansas City, and, judging by a review of it posted yesterday, it was a corker! The review is spoilery to some degree and so you might not want to read it just yet, but it gives nothing away to quote the summing up:


'This film was by far the best romantic comedy I have seen. It’s smart, sexy, raunchy, and hilarious. The chemistry between Gyllenhaal and Hathaway worked very well, and their relationship was very believable. Josh Gad’s character added the raunchy ‘Hangover-esque’ guy type of comedy needed to keep the male half of a couple interested. Writer/Director Ed Zwick’s interpretation of Jamie Reidy’s novel Hard Sell: The Evolution of a Viagara Salesman translated extremely well to the big screen and made me want to read the book. I know, the movie is never as good. Overall, the film worked, the cast including Platt and Azaria were perfectly picked, and I would totally recommend it.'


'Hopefully ‘Love and Other Drugs’ does well at the Box Office and causes a trend toward ‘rom-com’s’ that work for both members of the sexes. I give ‘Love and Other Dugs’ 4 1/2 Stars.'


The pairing of Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway for a RomCom has to be inspired casting. Fine actors, sexy and gorgeous, likeable, funny and good friends in real life - how could it not succeed in drawing both men and women into the theatres? Obviously one shouldn't be put off by the fact (as revealed on IMDb today by someone else who's seen the film) that Jake's bum does indeed get an airing in the film.


Love and Other Drugs may be getting a screening in Kanas City but it doesn't look like Venice will be as lucky. Today, the lineup for the September festival was announced and I'm afraid to report it's Jake Gyllenhaal-free. So that leaves London...


Jake inspires

A feature with Josh Hutcherson (Journey to the Centre of the Earth) shows that the teenage actor continues to holdup Jake Gyllenhaal as his idol and inspiration. This follows on from other interviews over the years. When Josh was 14: 'I want to act with Jake Gyllenhaal. He’s a great actor and he’s made so many great choices with the movies he’s done in his career. I want to model my career after his.'


And also in 2007: 'I really look up to Jake Gyllenhaal as an actor. Because the roles he chooses aren’t based on the biggest blockbuster movies. They’re based on being diverse roles, and that’s how I like to do it. He has a very similar career route as I’m hoping to take. And he seems like he’s a very grounded nice person too!'


After hearing Jake talk about some of the actors who have influenced him - such as Harrison Ford and Paul Newman - it's great to know that, in turn, there are younger actors driven on in their career by emulating the example set by Jake. Here's hoping that Josh does achieve his goal of acting alongside Jake.



This post is illustrated with great new old pictures courtesy of IHJ, including pictures from the Day After Tomorrow photocall in Berlin and photos of Jake and Kirsten in London in 2003, with Paul Bettany, on the set of Wimbledon.