Settling into Sex Tape, I was looking forward to a couple of hours of laughter from this supposed comedy of the summer. (Maybe not pee-your-pants laughter, but more of a constant snicker with an occasional guffaw.) The kind of giggles that typically come with the territory of a Cameron Diaz and/or Jason Segel film. Besides, who doesn’t like a naughty, sexy comedy? Plus, Sex Tape director Jake Kasdan, who previously directed both Diaz and Segel in Bad Teacher (2011), has secured some chuckles from me before. That said, overall, Sex Tape fell flat. Fun to watch; nothing spectacular. Not too naughty – just a tad. Minimal laughter, without the pee.
On its premise, it is a funny story. But that’s it. The entire Sex Tape script barely scratches the surface. Where’s the nitty gritty? The chemistry is missing amongst the cast. This movie could have painted a better picture of that discomfort and hilarity. Instead, it felt stilted and a bit cold; the film’s disjointed editing didn’t help.
Sure, there were a few zingers that I grinned and laughed out loud at. (Most of them were in the trailer, though.) At one point, Annie and Jay are having sex on the floor (the American dream, right?), when Annie is suddenly turned off by the very sight of her to-do list on the fridge. Meanwhile, Jay’s knees are hurting from going at it on the tile. These teeny everyday-life bits that crept their way onto the screen were gold.
Personally, I was hoping to see Segel in another hilarious movie that didn’t involve puppets. Perhaps another Forgetting Sarah Marshall meets 40 Year Old Virgin meets There’s Something About Mary. I was hoping for some obscenity amid a gut-busting love connection. But what I got was a bland screenplay with a couple of sex toys and an over-abundance of iPad product-placement.
So, here’s the thing. To be fair, despite the flavorless writing, Diaz played Annie with her usual quirky, sultry gusto, while Segel worked his naïve boy-charm. But together their characters just seemed distant, even while being intimate on the big-screen. Maybe it’s just that we’ve seen Segel play this part several times. Maybe he’s gotten a bit bored of being the guy next door that moms all want their children to marry. Segel did elicit some crowd laughter, though, during a particularly slapstick bout with a ferocious house dog.
Cameron Diaz and Jason Segel in “Sex Tape.” © 2014 – Columbia Pictures.
Oh, and that dog’s owner? Rob Lowe, who is fantastic in his role as Hank, Annie’s goody-two-shoes-coke-head boss. A small role, yes. But refreshing. Rob Corddry and Ellie Kemper (Robby and Tess, respectively) have slightly larger roles, but don’t make as much of an impact. Their son, Howard (Harrison Holzer), however, was a great addition to the cast. Oh, and Jack Black makes a brief appearance as a porn guru. So, that happens. And it’s okay. Like the rest of Sex Tape.
Mandi Ruffner