*Spoilers*
The film sleeping with other people, addresses many of the issues we deal with on a day to day basis such as what to do on the first date, what’s sex like, and can we be friends? Its not your typical Rom-Com, but its also not another lets sleep together be friends then realize we love each other film, It’s a satirical twist into the cruel harsh reality of dating.
The film starts with two college students Jake and Lainey, awkwardly losing their Virginities to each other, fast-forward 10 years, our main characters are successful adults, in their love-life however there unable to commit to a single relationship. Jake loves to sleep with as many girls as possible with no wish to settle down, and Lainey has an obsession with an old college tutor that keeps her from dating any other man. Another awkward encounter in their lives pulls these to people together in a sex addiction group, they become friends, hang out, grow as individuals; and although they encounter many moments of sexual tension, they never actually “do the deed”.
What we learn of these characters throughout the film are the typical archetypes the player and the slut, Jake is never judged for his inability to maintain monogamous relationship, but Lainey is bashed as this broken human who needs to reinvent her entire life or suffer eternal loneliness and judgment. What’s fantastic about this film is that as the characters grow and become friends. They learn to respect the other self but more importantly each other; Lianey learns she can be strong on her own and that her dreams are more important than the looks of society, as she pursues a career in medicine, and Jake sees himself as less of a macho lover and more as a loving adult who can respect women and find love with a single mother. The characters seemingly find happiness in the arms of another, whether it is a person or a dream, not sleeping for the entirety of the film and losing contact towards the end.
As the film reaches its conclusion Jake realizes that his true love was Lainey and that her passion is what helped him become the man he always wanted to be, Lainey and him get together and finally get that unavoidable “love-making” the viewer was waiting for. The End.
What’s so important about this is that these two people didn’t need sex to fall for each other, and that what truly won out in the end for both of them was an undeniable link of friendship, a bond of love stronger, than two bodies clashing together, but rather to minds melding in what we as a society should expect love to be. The bonding of two people, the coming together of kindred spirits, and that is more important then anything else. With that I recommend this film to all the comedy lovers, to all the romantics and lovers, to those willing to see a different side of romance.
