Saw the new Cameron Diaz/Jason Segel romantic comedy Sex Tape – about a married couple who get a night off from the kids and try to get in some sexy time by filming themselves having sex (using the 1970s era Joy of Sex book). Unfortunately, the video is automatically synced to their cloud account and then to the iPads they’ve given out as gifts to their friends and family. Cute premise… the movie is very well acted and is occasionally funny… but it’s also overly long, flabby, and the dialog gets really annoying. There are distractingly far too many arguments about the movie’s premise to the point it became irritating and hurt my investment in the characters (who are remarkably likable usually). A little editing and an extra pass on the dialog at the script level would have saved this movie since it’s not altogether bad. It just kind of lays there being unmotivated and sluggish when it should be spry and energetic.
I’ll give it to the actors though – they put it out there. Both Diaz and Segel are in what must have been some very awkward scenes while mostly naked (we get some butt shots and side boob) but they are not shy (mostly to comedic effect). Happily Jason Segel has toned up and lost weight and Cameron Diaz (who is about 8 years older than him) is still amazing. Rob Cordry, Ellie Kemper (from The Office), Rob Lowe, and a great cameo from Jack Black round out the cast… and they are all really great.
The actors and the acting are clearly not the problem.
As an aside, the movie is really smart about technology… even in ways where you, watching the movie, are out-thinking the situation only for the script to turn around and confirm that you were right and the characters weren’t thinking this through (the movie wasn’t dumb, the characters were).
Also – HUGE advertisement for Apple.
I really wanted to like this movie and it tries really hard… it just doesn’t know when to let a joke go (especially when it’s not working), when to end a scene or how to write compact, concise dialog (seriously repetitive arguments are not enjoyable).