Jay (Jason Segel) and Annie (Cameron Diaz) try to rekindle past excitement by recording themselves in the act in “Sex Tape”. Photo by Claire Folger.
Recording one’s sexual escapades is always a risky endeavor, which is probably a large part of the appeal when trying to spice up a couple’s once-exciting sex life. And in an age where content can easily be shared between one’s laptop, phone, tablet or other electronic devices, it’s easier than ever to accidentally leak said recordings to friends, family or the entire world. That’s exactly what happens in Sex Tape when after Jay (Jason Segel) and Annie (Cameron Diaz) decide to use Jay’s new company-issued iPad to record them exploring every position in the 1970s book The Joy of Sex.
It’s a funny enough premise complemented by the fact that you get to see Diaz naked a few times over the course of the movie. And considering that Rob Corddry and Ellie Kemper co-star as the friends willing to help prevent Jay and Annie’s cyber romp from going viral, you’d think Sex Tape would be a comedy hit. And it is, at times. Rob Lowe is particularly funny as the CEO of the company interested in buying Annie’s mom blog (especially as his unlikely penchants for thrash metal, gangster rap, Disney movies, cocaine and other indulgences gradually come to light). Corddry and Kemper also have their moments, particularly after they secretly use the sex tape to take their otherwise uneventful wedding anniversary to new levels. And Segel (in better shape than ever, presumably because he knew he’d be spending a good portion of this movie in the buff) and Diaz (did I mention she also spends a significant portion of this movie naked?) do a fine job comedically exuding their desperation in getting their hands on every last copy of their epic lovemaking.
Hank (Rob Lowe) shares one of the funnier scenes in “Sex Tapes” with Cameron Diaz. Photo by Claire Folger.
Despite having all the right ingredients for a debauched comedy hit, there’s something intangible missing from Sex Tape comparable to the spark that has disappeared from Jay and Annie’s sex life. Perhaps it’s how ridiculously far they go to stop anyone else form seeing their sex tape (randomly dropping by the homes of people they hardly know in the middle of the night, breaking into YouPorn’s headquarters even later in the night when they could have just called or emailed) that prevents Sex Tape from reaching its proper climax. You do, however, get to see Cameron Diaz naked a few times. Plus Jack Black makes a cameo that’s good for a few laugh-out-loud moments.