So few films actually look at the grim reality of sexuality in modern culture and its challenges. Hollywood is still very much blue-pilled and relies on and feeds into our fantasies about love and relationships. Few films look at the dark side of the most central and powerful force in all of our lives. You have Don Jon (2013) which looks at one mans reliance on pornography, but its disappointing conclusion was that the unrealistically healthy paragon of sexuality female swooped in to heal him. A similar thing happened in Love and Other Drugs (2010). On the flip side, you have films like Nymphomaniac (2013) which show the devastating effects and suffering that arises from psycho-sexual illness. But at 6 hours long this is not for everyone, and it offers little hope or suggestion for moving forward. Thanks for Sharing is the first Hollywood film that I've seen that really is brave enough to show the dark reality of sexual desire within the context of a conventional and enjoyable Hollywood story. The first Hollywood film which even acknowledges the fact that we all have access on the internet to anything our minds can imagine and to infinitely more naked bodies and sexual imagery than has been available to most of human history. And how we are meant to just be able to say no to all of that and know how to have healthy monogamous relationships and sexual desires, something we all are living through and struggling with as perhaps the biggest social challenge of our times.
As a man, this movie makes me feel heard for the first time in a way that no other Hollywood movie has. Men have made Western society safe enough now for women to walk around wearing quite literally nothing if they wish to. Or to post an infinite amount of images of themselves wearing nothing on the internet. And some women throw that in our faces and attempt to shame us for not being able to constantly look the other way if they don't want our attention. But we cannot turn it off at will. All men know this. That it doesn't matter how much you love your wife (or husband), or how many intellectual ideas you have about respecting women or blah blah blah, the constant and unescapable temptation thrown in our faces all day every day is extremely difficult to deal with, and many of us don't have the tools to do so because of a lack of collective understanding and acceptance and lack of tutorship, and slip into extremely unhealthy patterns of sexual behaviour that have devastating effects on our lives. I absolutely applaud this film for even attempting to take a look at this. While it wasn't brilliant it was very enjoyable with likeable characters. It deals with important themes but remains light and humours and ultimately optimistic.
Women of course are going through their own challenges with sexuality, and I respect that this film tried to include that too with the character portrayed by P!nk, who has lots of instinctive sex with men she doesn't even like because the desperate need to feel wanted is so strong within her. Unfortunately though this wasn't explored as much as the masculine challenges. But this is because it is such a huge and difficult subject which cannot be explored properly in one 2-hour movie.
As a man, this movie makes me feel heard for the first time in a way that no other Hollywood movie has. Men have made Western society safe enough now for women to walk around wearing quite literally nothing if they wish to. Or to post an infinite amount of images of themselves wearing nothing on the internet. And some women throw that in our faces and attempt to shame us for not being able to constantly look the other way if they don't want our attention. But we cannot turn it off at will. All men know this. That it doesn't matter how much you love your wife (or husband), or how many intellectual ideas you have about respecting women or blah blah blah, the constant and unescapable temptation thrown in our faces all day every day is extremely difficult to deal with, and many of us don't have the tools to do so because of a lack of collective understanding and acceptance and lack of tutorship, and slip into extremely unhealthy patterns of sexual behaviour that have devastating effects on our lives. I absolutely applaud this film for even attempting to take a look at this. While it wasn't brilliant it was very enjoyable with likeable characters. It deals with important themes but remains light and humours and ultimately optimistic.
Women of course are going through their own challenges with sexuality, and I respect that this film tried to include that too with the character portrayed by P!nk, who has lots of instinctive sex with men she doesn't even like because the desperate need to feel wanted is so strong within her. Unfortunately though this wasn't explored as much as the masculine challenges. But this is because it is such a huge and difficult subject which cannot be explored properly in one 2-hour movie.