Rent Better Living Through Chemistry (2014)

After a week or two you'll get this mixed up with about six other films when you try to recall it... - Better Living Through Chemistry review by Strovey

Better Living Through Chemistry does not tread any new ground even for the year it was released in 2014. After all, if you regularly watch films how many times have you seen the quiet, underconfident, down-trodden male character, and it usually is a man, turn things around and become a swaggering lothario or similar? Frankly, it is a lot.

The only difference for this or any other film is what causes this dramatic change in the lead character's life, how they respond and deal with it, the effect it has on those around them, the outcome, and of course the cast, if it is strong then the film is usually more watchable.

So, we have Better Living Through Chemistry.

The lead is Sam Rockwell therefore the film will be worth watching as he has on-screen charisma to spare and always livens up proceedings. He is ably supported by an unrecognisable, at first, Olivia Wilde who does well with a well-worn role that at least has a slight wrinkle in her story path near the end. The other main character is Michelle Monaghan who is wasted in the role of Doug’s wife as a horrible person with no redeeming features. It is played too over-the-top and could have been reeled back in. Why is this so? The best guess is the makers felt the story would not work if she is not so one-dimensional.

Also, we have a Jane Fonda voice-over, perhaps an afterthought, probably not necessary. Did the writers/directors lack confidence in the script or screenplay?

Rockwell effortlessly plays his role, seemingly not getting out of first gear, yet he is the only reason that my interest was kept. The best part of the whole film is his bonding scenes with his son however unlikely it was.

He is the brightest spot in a film that is frankly somewhat dull. It is competently directed, the acting from the rest of the cast is okay, it is not their fault they have cardboard cutout characters that have been in many, many films before this one, and therein lies the rub. It is the screenplay, we have all seen this before, dare I say it is ‘hack’ the loveable loser who turns his life around, nearly loses it all and then redemption. Of course it is easy for me to sit here ten years later criticising aspects when I don't know how the script originally looked, the changes that were forced on the actors and makers, but all I can judge is what is in front of me.

No one in the film is likable as a person. They are all a-holes, even Rockwell’s Doug is reprehensible and does morally repugnant things despite us supposedly having to root for him. I will give the writers, who also directed, Geoff Moore and David Posamentier, some credit for twisting expectations/ideas about a few characters but as I have noted all the characters are reprehensible so it is not the rug they think they pulled from under the audience.

All-in-all Better Living Through Chemistry is watchable, because of the cast, and a few laughs, but sadly it lacks anything different to see and after a few days you are bound to get it mixed up with a dozen other similar films when you try to recall it.

Shame, because with the cast, the tale should have been much better. Perhaps told with a darker hue it could have been a quite deliciously horrible tale. It's not that is a bad or an awful film it is just it could have been so much better.