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Review: Sex Tape

Nobody understands the “cloud”, and this leads us into the giant mishap that is Sex Tape, a film about a couple who are trying to get their passion back, and in doing so, accidentally reveal a little too much of themselves to all their friends and family. Sex Tape is not the most well made film, but it carries itself on its quirky humour, and is surprisingly not very obscene even with its premise being about a sex tape.

Annie and Jay used to be crazy for each other, and prided themselves on their incredible sex life. However, marriage and two children had a toll on their energy and their will to sleep together.  Events lead them to having one rare night alone together without the children home, and after having a hard time reconnecting, Annie has the seemingly brilliant idea to make a sex tape to help spark some excitement. Unfortunately for Annie and Jay, technology is more advanced than they realize, and iCloud has uploaded the file to the many iPads that for some reason, Jay has gifted to many clients for his radio station job. There are many aspects of the film that are farfetched and unrealistic, and only there to propel or justify the main plot; despite this, it is an enjoyable watch thanks to the great performances and some extremely funny moments.

Every member of the cast is perfect in their role. Cameron Diaz and Jason Segel have amazing chemistry; here they actually get to utilize it as it went to waste in their last feature together, Bad Teacher (also directed by Jake Kasdan). Diaz and Segel both have their moments, but the supporting cast are who really steal the show. Rob Lowe, who plays Annie’s potential boss, Hank, has the best segment of the film, as some crazy and bizarre events ensue while Annie and Jay try to find his iPad at his apartment.  Rob Corddry and Ellie Kemper work great as Annie and Jay’s bored friends, who make the adventure of retrieving the sex tape the highlight of their twelfth wedding anniversary. The child actors are underused, but are all great additions to the cast and provide some great moments.

The film is obviously high on product placement, as it could almost be viewed as a giant Apple commercial (or a giant Apple deterrent, depending on how you look at it), but it never feels too distracting and always serves the plot. As a generation so engrained in technology, the problems that these devices cause are something everyone can relate to at some degree.

The film is a bit uneven, doesn’t always make the most sense, and is a bit scattered, but the quirkiness and performances hold it together. Going into it, one may expect something incredibly reliant on sex jokes and physical humour, but it is impressive how it diverts from the obvious and manages to be a somewhat sweet story about love, romance, sex, and family. When Sex Tape sticks to its out of the box jokes and gimmicks, it can be a real winner. If you go into the film and allow yourself to neglect some common sense and simply enjoy it for what it is at face value, Sex Tape can be very fun time.

[star v=3]

Adriana Floridia

Adriana Floridia is a singer, writer, and film critic from Toronto. She loves watching movies, but even more than that, she loves discussing them with film lovers alike.