Mark Ruffalo has a bit of a dilemma. Five years sober from sex addiction, his character has finally decided to test the waters of dating again, only to be thrown into a relationship where Gwyneth Paltrow prances around his apartment in black lingerie. But it’s not just Paltrow; as the new international trailer for Stuart Blumberg’s Thanks for Sharing shows as Ruffalo makes his way down the crowded streets of New York City, sex is everywhere.
For a sex addict, the simple act of watching television or taking the subway to work can be enough to unravel an entire day. The film explores these trials through all of the meetings the addicts have to attend, much like an alcoholic, and the rituals they have to go through to keep on the straight and narrow; Josh Gad, as a newly recovering addict, rides his bike to work every day to avoid groping women on the subway. It seems a little heavy-handed to constantly show sexy adverstising on the NYC streets to prove the “sexy sex is everywhere/look at our society” point, but I think we’ll have to forgive it for now, considering our subjects.
But somehow, the film is taking this unpleasant subject matter and spinning it into an almost lighthearted package, proving you don’t always having to talk about serious things seriously. As our own Kate Erbland described it while writing about the first trailer, it’s for people who thought Shame was too sad. Check out the trailer for yourself here:
Look out for Alecia Moore, aka Pink, who seems to be holding her own as a female addict and friend to Gad’s character. Plus points for calling a sex addiction meeting a “sausage fest.”
Thanks for Sharing is in theaters September 20th.
