Hit Play: Sleeping With Other People (2016)
by Robbie Jones
Jason Sudeikis is one of the funniest men working in film today. Alison Brie is one of the funniest women working in film today. So naturally, you’d think that if they were put together in a movie then it would be absolutely hilarious. Is that the case for Sleeping With Other People?
Well, no. For a comedy, Sleeping With Other People really doesn’t offer a lot of laughs. But it’s still a pretty great film.
Jake and Lainey, two sex addicts who lost their virginity to each other in college, meet again as adults, and decide to have a strictly platonic friendship as opposed to having sex, offering each other advice as Jake tries to maintain a stable relationship without cheating, whilst Lainey struggles to get over the man she cheated on her boyfriend with.
Okay, let’s get the negatives out of the way first; the film really isn’t that funny. Like, I recall chuckling twice, and they weren’t memorable jokes either. On top of that, the sexual aspects of the film feel gratuitous at times, which is kind of expected but given everything that the film has to offer, it’s kind of jarring in comparison. It’s worst part is the scene in which Sudeikis teaches Brie how to masturbate. Beyond that, Sleeping With Other People is a damn good film. Let’s talk performances; both of the leads are fantastic.
Now, I’m pretty much I’m With Geek’s biggest fan of Jason Sudeikis (when we get our office, that’s what it’s going to say on my desk), because I completely and utterly love him, but even I can admit that a lot of his performances are fairly similar. For the beginning of this film, he is standard Sudeikis, but once the film gets a lot more intimate, he shines. It’s probably his best performance yet (although, apparently he’s really good in Race). Alison Brie is excellent too: all of the ins and outs of her character are expressed so damn well by this amazingly talented woman, and Adam Scott gives the most un-Adam Scott performance he’s ever given, but he’s still great.
Sleeping With Other People does a really great job of everything but it’s humour; the connection between Jake and Lainey is so convincing, so pure and real, and when things get a bit more intimate and a bit more personal, the film hits serious highs. It’s actually quite striking when it wants to be. For example, Lainey suffers panic attacks when her lover is concerned, and it handles her stress really well. But the most striking part of the film comes in the third act, in a scene that I won’t spoil, but will describe as “perfect chaos”, but not the kind you usually see in comedy films. There’s nothing silly or hilarious about it, it’s a deeply dramatic, involving moment that is as effective as it is thanks to the sound and camera work. It’s almost stressful watching it, and it’s fantastic. On a lighter note, the film does have a really enjoyable dance scene with Brie being her gorgeous self and Sudeikis pulling some groovy movies. It’s deliriously entertaining.
Sleeping With Other People lacks in the laugh department, but makes up of for that with some great drama, and at times is a great feel good movie that’s hard not to enjoy.
Sleeping With Other People is now available on DVD