Sex Tape (2014) – Review

Where to watch Sex Tape

2 1/2 Stars

Sex Tape is a movie that is entertaining despite itself. The final product shows obvious signs of post-production tweaking, and I get the feeling that the producers were happy to salvage something that plays. This is a good-natured but one-note comedy that aspires to be all things, a topical glimpse of a married couple’s sex life, a slapstick farce, and a social satire. Although the characters are engaging, particularly Siegel as the bumbling husband, this lightweight comedy suffers rom a rambling script and one too many endings.

Jay (Jason Segel) and Annie (Cameron Diaz) are a once frisky married couple who have become so overwhelmed with life’s duties that their sex life is now virtually non-existent. In an effort to spice things up Annie proposes to make a sex tape for their viewing only, the marathon video apparently goes on for hours as they use a Karma Sutra type manual. The next morning Annie demands that he erase the incriminating home-made porn, unfortunately the clip is synched with the cloud and appears on ever mobile device that Jay has ever owned. That means the embarrassed couple have to hunt down numerous Ipads (given as gifts to friends and family) before their social circle sees the video.

This is a great launching pad for a concept comedy like this, but after the initial retrieval of a few electronic devices the story seems to shift into another direction, especially during an extended sequence featuring Rob Lowe as Diaz’s mild manner recently divorced coke-snorting boss. While Jay frantically searches Lowe’s house for his Ipad Annie is doing blow downstairs, it seems really out of character for her, particularly since she has been presented as somewhat straight-laced up to that point. A relentlessly attack dog is repeatedly played for laughs but grows tiresome quickly.

Outside of this long and forgettable sequence the rest of the movie is rather warm-hearted and gentle, especially for something titled Sex Tape.

Director: Jake Kasdan
Stars: Jason Segel, Cameron Diaz, Rob Corddry, Rob Lowe