Love and Sex 6/10

Love and Sex (NR) 2000
Reviewer’s Tilt (3)
Romantic Comedy-82min
Special DVD Features worth a look- None

The engaging talents and chemistry of Jon Favreau and Famke Janssen infuse this trite genre with a warm glow. Although the film also stars the talented Cheri Oteri, she has roughly the same screen time and number of lines as a rather ubiquitous cheese sandwich. Janssen plays Kate Wells, an attractive thirtyish single female, bouncing from one unhealthy relationship to the next. As a writer for the Cosmoesque magazine “Monique”, Kate turns in a how too on the Do’s and Don’ts of proper fellaciation. Tired of such tripe, Kate’s boss lays down an ultimatum: Kate can either turn in substantive piece on relationships within the next twenty four hours or she can clean out her desk. Kate sulks back to her desk to reflect on life lessons learned through her many failed relationships. From her twisted high school French teacher to the married man trying to recapture his fleeting youth, Kate waxes philosophic on the remote potential for permanence in any relationship. Analyzing her former suitors, Kate’s thoughts continually return to Adam Levy (Favreau).

Although ennui was the only flaw in their relationship, it was enough to start a rip that split the relationship in two. It is tough to portray a relationship going from giddy newness to irritating boredom over the course of forty minutes, but Favreau and Janssen do a phenomenal job. Kate focuses on the inevitable “no fault” stagnation of any relationship and incredible mutual effort necessary to keep it alive. She realizes no relationship can ever be as fresh as it first appeared. She realizes that with time comes complacency and accommodation. What she cannot see is that with time also comes a growth and a synergy, infinitely more powerful and lasting than any first encounter. This realization requires a maturity neither Kate nor Adam possess. Although physically mature, Kate and Adam are emotionally stunted, Kate because of her many unhealthy relationships and Adam because of a dearth of experience with the fairer sex. The two have fallen in and out of love before, but this time is different. The story follows their mutual introspection, seeking a maturity sufficient to sustain their relationship beyond the shiny newness. The story is trite, but thankfully does not debase itself with senseless male bashing or ridiculous plot twists. This film survives on the clever banter and Protean interaction between the lead actors. And sometimes, just sometimes, that is enough.

Format: Color, Widescreen Anamorphic, Closed captioned.
Sound: (Dolby Digital 5.1)
Extras: Movie synopsis, cast and crew info, trailer.