Synopsis
“Sex Tape” is a romantic comedy film released in 2014 that was directed by Jake Kasdan and produced by Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller. The film stars Cameron Diaz and Jason Segel, where the story revolves around a married couple who attempt to rekindle their flagging sexual relation by recording themselves, only to get into a hilarious pickle when the recording is uploaded onto the cloud and shared with numerous contacts. Infused with jokes of a lewd nature, this film offers commentary on the role modern technology plays on the trials of long term relationships and marriage. Though humorous in its approach, “Sex Tape” serves as a warning on the current state of marriages.
The film opens with Jay (Jason Segel) and Annie (Cameron Diaz) a married couple who have shifted from a romantic adventurous lifestyle to an extremely mundane. Nearly a decade into their marriage and with two kids later, their spark has all but vanished. Their conversations hardly qualify for discussions and contain only small talk about school runs, work and routines. Annie, operates as a popular mommy’s blogger and Jay is employed as a Radio Ad Executive. The two seem to be out of sync, whilst the other becomes exhausted with their boring existence.
Annie jokingly suggests making a sex tape — a three hour long re-creation of every single position in The Joy of Sex — while the kids are away. Oh, how fun it sounds! They record the tape on Jay’s iPad, blissfully forgetting the fact that all his devices sync with the cloud, including iPads given out as gifts to friends, colleagues, and even Annie’s boss.
The following day, both of them are mortified to discover that the video has been shared among numerous people thanks to Apple’s cloud syncing. The couple is determined to get all of the iPads back, regardless of the lengths they must go to, erasing the video before anyone manages to watch it. This sets the stage for a hilarious misadventure, with everything from a chaotic pursuit, breaking into homes, and an overly awkward drugged encounter at Annie’s boss’s home that leads to slapstick in the most outrageous ways.
In the climax, Jay and Annie track the video down to a pornographic website, where an anonymous blackmailer claims he will release it to the public. The blackmail threatens the couple’s fears regarding their trust and the state of their marriage. Ultimately, they succeed in deleting the video from the servers and, reflecting on their struggles, realize that their strength comes from their love, humor, and willingness to fight for each other.
The couple ends the film on a positive note, having renewed appreciation for each other. They embrace their enduring but imperfect love and toss away the last physical replica of the video.
Cast & Crew
Cameron Diaz as Annie Hargrove
Diaz plays the role of Annie, who is energetic, slightly anxious, and driven in ways that are almost neurotic. Annie’s desperation to regain her youth makes Diaz’s character become the driving force for many of her comedic films with SNL star Jason Segel. Her striking ability to recapture the anxiety of Annie, who drove the film’s central premise, holds the couple’s comedic rhythm which is so integral to the film.
Jason Segel as Jay Hargrove
Segel takes on the on the role of an affable yet disorganized Jay. A husband who means well but does not succeed in putting any of his grand plans into action, brings out the familiar awkward charm and relatability Segel is known for.
Rob Corddry as Robby
Robby is the couple’s friend who gets wrapped up in the chaos when the tape is leaked. Corddry provides comic relief and enhances the ridiculousness of the events that transpire.
Ellie Kemper as Tess
Kemper provides a humorous lightness as horrified and curious Tess, Robby’s wife, a character who is fascinated by the drama the video brings to their home.
Rob Lowe as Hank Rosenbaum
Lowe takes on the role of Annie’s boss, who in his reserved executive persona conceals an outlandish side that surprises the couple. The actor has some of the most over the top scenes in the film with Diaz and Segel.
Director: Jake Kasdan
Known for Bad Teacher and Walk Hard, Kasdan is silly and irreverent with Sex Tape, further refining the over-the-top slapstick and comedic escalation style he’s known for.
Writers: Kate Angelo, Jason Segel, Nicholas Stoller
The blend of raunchy comedy with heartfelt sentiments does not always come together seamlessly in the screenplay. Attempts to blend a long-term couple’s communication breakdown and sexual disconnection were there, but they were drowned in absurdity.
Cinematography: Tim Suhrstedt
The visual style is bright and glossy, in keeping with the film’s comedic and mainstream tone.
Music: Michael Andrews
The upbeat nature of the film is captured beautifully in the balance of the score’s light pop undertones, which highlight the film’s humor, pacing, and overall enjoyable qualities.
The film covers a good range of modern themes, in particular the struggle with keeping the flame alive in long lasting relationships, which is the most prominent theme in the film. It humorously exaggerates the impact of work, parenting, and routine on intimacy. The film aims to normalize the sexual activity of couples but at the same time portrays how modern technology intensely complicates privacy.
Sex and technology are other primary themes that the film focuses on. Jay and Annie’s use of a tablet to record themselves is contemporary, but the outcome is disastrous. The experience portrays the outcome of one of the many fears present in today’s society surrounding technology – once you share or upload an image or video electronically, you have zero control over it. The tools that everyday people use – the cloud, syncing features, and storage devices – without much thought, turn into utter chaos.
Another primary theme is marital honesty and effort. Rekindling romance requires vulnerability and creativity, as highlighted in the story. Humor and shared experiences, even embarrassing ones, strengthen bonds. Jay and Annie find each other again, but this time through “ridiculous” adventures.
The film incorporates a lighthearted approach to exploring sexuality, shame, and societal judgment as well. There is a recurrent joke about what is deemed suitable behavior for married people and parents, especially in how they walk or dance around those boundaries. While these episodes are exaggerated, they do highlight the underlying tension between private life and public persona in the age of social media and sharing.
Reception
Critics’ reviews of Sex Tape were mixed to negative. While the chemistry between Cameron Diaz and Jason Segel received praise, many critics commented that the film overused sexual humor at the expense of character and deeper themes. Some viewers enjoyed the slapstick humor alongside its relatable premise, while other viewers thought the film was too predictable.
In terms of box office performance, the film was moderately successful. It had a production budget of roughly $40 million, and grossed over $126 million worldwide. The appeal of its stars, as well as the risqué concept, largely drove its success.
There was a split audience reception. Some considered it a light comedy with an endearing message about married love, while others deemed it a wasted opportunity to provide profound commentary about relationships in the digital age.
Conclusion
Bruce Kahn’s modern day Sex Tape (2014) makes an attempt at slapstick humor incorporating tecghnology in relationships and intimacy. The story arc is shallow, fails to construct an intricate plot, but still manages to entertain the audience with laughs and relatable situations. Cameron Diaz and Jason Segel carry this film, and their performance sustains the laughs throughout the film, even when the plot is unreasonably absurd.
Above all, Sex Tape is about the couple behind the camera and less about the tape. The movie shows how even the most chaotic misadventures can provide a reason worth fighting for.
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