Sleeping with Other People, the movie you want to make sure you capitalize when texting your significant other.
Sleeping with Other People stars Allison Brie and Jason Sudeikis and is set in New York City. The film begins with Lainey (Allison Brie) freaking out and furiously knocking on the dorm room door of a man and nearly getting thrown out of the dorm building by the R.A. Jake (Jason Sudeikis) jumps in and says that she is his guest where they proceed to talk about the guy she was trying to see, Matt. Lainey is the typical girl pining after a guy who doesn’t want to give her the time of day. The conversation progresses and Jake and Lainey end up losing their virginity to each other.
Fast forward to the future, where Jake is having trouble in his relationship because he can’t seem to not sleep with other people and cheat on his girlfriends, which consequently gets him thrown in front of a taxi. At least the taxi was less cliché than a bus. But then again, a bus probably would’ve killed him and it would have been an extremely short film.
Flash to another scene where Lainey is at a restaurant with her boyfriend, Sam (Adam Brody) and tells him that she has been cheating on him, 16 times with someone else. This creates a big scene and ends with her boyfriend storming out and calling her a whore. Lainey leaves and then we find that she is still infatuated with the guy from college, Matt (Adam Scott), who is married and extremely controlling of Lainey. She can’t seem to get over him and has panic attacks and seems emotionally scarred by him.
Jake and Lainey end up running into each other at the same Sex Addicts Anonymous meeting at a church, many years after that one night. Lainey tells Jake that she didn’t end up going to Med School but ended up becoming a kindergarten teacher. They then begin a development of their relationship, which they determine should just be a friendship, since they both seem to always mess up the relationships that involve sex. Throughout a series of various events, it is quite obvious they begin to fall in love with each other. They still continue to date other people. Jake finally lands a date with Paula (Amanda Peet), and they begin to get serious.
There is an extremely funny scene where Jake and Lainey go to Jake’s friend, Xander’s (Jason Mantzoukas) son’s birthday party while high on Molly. Lainey dances with the kids at the party, and they end up with Jake’s head in the pool and Lainey just sitting by the pool with him. At this time, a guy named Chris (Marc Blucas) comes and introduces himself to Lainey.
Lainey and Chris begin dating and when at a party his work, they run into Matt and his wife, who is now pregnant. Lainey has a breakdown and ends up leaving to go to Jake’s where they cuddle in bed and finally confess that they are in love with each other. Jake continues to date Paula and Lainey moves to Michigan to attend Med School. They don’t talk for a while, but one day, while Jake is with Paula at a restaurant in New York, he sees Matt, and attacks him, beating the hell out of him and during which, he says, “this is for my girl.” Paula hears him and asks who his girl is. She then leaves him and tells him it is over.
From the jail, he calls Lainey and tells her he’s been arrested and needs her and that he loves her and wants her to come home. There is an extremely fun scene where Jake is running around the police room and yelling “ I LOVE YOU! I LOVE YOU ELAINE! I LOVE YOU!” Matt, who is in the other room, overhears this and begins to understand the attack.
In the next scene, Lainey goes to see Matt at his office and tells him that she remembers everything. All of the little things he did to her, and wondered if his wife, Emma would find any of those familiar. She then leaves and meets up with Jake and said that she thinks he will drop the lawsuit. She then puts on her veil and they are walking to get married, but of course stop for sex.
The acting is great and Allison Brie and Jason Sudeikis have really great chemistry. You believe their relationship and the love that they have for each other. You really hope that they do end up together the entire time. There are a few other supporting characters that are great, but aren’t really all that important to the story. Natasha Lyonne played one of Lainey’s friends, who isn’t really all that important when it comes to the story.
There is something to be learned from this film. The rest of Hollywood should learn that it is possible to make a film which is extremely sexual, without being overly gross. It is a wonderful balance of love and friendship while being openly sexual. The jokes are funny; the characters are lovable and relatable. It is a wonderful modern rom-com which celebrates love and sex. I highly recommend this film.
Final Rating 8/10
