Not every film is going to include a scene where Jason Sudeikis teaches Alison Brie how to masturbate. Sure, I didn’t buy the reality for a single second and it’s more than just a tad condescending, and yet, this kinda made the movie for me. Yup. These two are dressed for a sitcom, but this is not daytime TV.
Lainey (Brie) and Jake (Sudeikis) are both bad news for the monogamy set. Lainey can’t resist her gynecologist (Adam Scott) regardless of current relationship (his or hers); Jake is about a half-step away from serial misogyny, explaining that while he values a long-term relationship, he often realizes far in advance that it’s gonna end, at which point he gets to the Sleeping with Other People. His theory has a bizarre nobility to it: if he has sex outside the relationship, he’s the bad guy, end of story; if he ends the relationship because it has to end, the woman feels poorly about herself. In said case, he prefers being the bad guy. Sniff. It’s just so beautiful.
For those of you playing at home: while this theory may sound like it contains the essence of truth, it does not. Do not, and I repeat, do not deliberately end a relationship by having sex with somebody else. Atsa no good.
Turns out Lainey and Jake lost their virginity to one another in college many, many moons ago (more sniff), and when they reunite while mutually skipping out of a sexaholics 
anonymous meeting, they get to have the relationship they gave up on long ago. Except this time, it will be awesome, cuz, no sex! I’m not sure how many different takes on the “friends who want to have sex but don’t” theme there are, but I kinda liked this one – almost entirely because while these guys are terrible for other people, they are pretty good for one another. He readily describes sexual encounters with her; she tries on sexy lingerie in front of him; both of them develop a safe word for when their urges are going too far. They both show up baked at a child’s birthday party. You definitely want a partner who doesn’t judge.
The basic plot of romantic sex comedies has, forever, been: person A is good, but has been wronged; finally, wonderful person B shows up and if they can figure it out, this is a couple. Yay. Sleeping with Other People recognized neither person A, nor person B, as especially “good.” This, to me, is far more compelling than a masturbation lesson. Sure, heels deserve love, too. Especially if they’re just screwing each other.
Witnesses will claim that Jake is a lout
Which is nothing compared to a good Lainey pout
Apart, they stinks
This dog and minx
Together, they might cancel each other out
Rated R, 95 Minutes
D: Leslye Headland
W: Leslye Headland
Genre: Seeking a friend for the other side of the pillow
Type of person most likely to enjoy this film: Realists
Type of person least likely to enjoy this film: The chaste
