Review: Thanks for Sharing (15)

Thanks for Sharing tries and fails to feed comedy into the experiences of a group of addicts.

And a high-powered cast – Mark Ruffalo, Tim Robbins, Gwyneth Paltrow, Joely Richardson and singer Pink – strive valiantly to survive the imposition of standardised Hollywood romance on the bleak subject matter. It is fair to say they do not have a massive success in their efforts to do to.

Robbins is the sanctimonious middle-aged husband and father who has channelled his experiences into mentoring other people to help them get over their problems. The truth is that he needs a shared space to rid himself of his demons.

Robbins’ success story is Ruffalo, who needs that same space to stay sane. But it’s a struggle requiring constant vigilance.

His weak link is new girlfriend Gwyneth Paltrow, a damaged lass with her own problems who demands honesty. And Ruffalo finds it hard to lie.

John Belushi lookalike Josh Gad is a tubby doctor whose tawdry predilections get him fired. He finds succour and support with Pink, surprisingly plausible as another addict. The problem with Thanks for Sharing is it is neither fish nor fowl.

A peculiar hybrid that attempts to balance hard drama with unwieldy comedy, it founders with a thump.

Yet the ensemble cast – the delusional Ruffalo and Robbins, the desperate Gad – seem to be working on an entirely different film, so much so that that comedy feels like an imposition.

Among the film’s high – or low – points is a scene with Emily Meade as Becky, Ruffalo’s ex and a dangerous part of his past. “Slap me!” she screams. She’s more disturbed than all of them and not a part of the self-help programme. There are no laughs here, just as there should be no laughs in the film as a whole.