Addicted – Overview/ Review (with Spoilers)

Overview

When a woman finds her husband unable to please her like she wants, she ventures out to find some men who can.

Trigger Warning: Rape scene

Review (with Spoilers)

Before 50 Shades of Grey was synonymous with mainstream erotica, there was the author Zane. Someone who wrote erotic books featuring Black characters and even had a soft-core porn series if I recall right. Though with it being a long time since Zane’s name was big, and with Tyler Perry’s Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor still being fresh enough to remember, does Addicted prove itself to be the best, as well as the original, or did all Zane do is open the door as bigger and better productions got through?

Characters & Story

Zoe (Sharon Leal) has a lot going for her in life: She has a gorgeous husband, named Jason (Boris Kodjoe); two beautiful kids; a mother, Nina (Maria Howell), who lives with them and allows her and her husband to work full-time, and pull in extra hours; and she has her own business. One which, thanks to her marketing expertise, and best friend Brina (Emayatzy Corinealdi), is quite the success. Well, at least until famous artist Quinton Canosa (William Levy) comes in. From meeting him, to being alone with him in his studio, something awakens in her which creates this desire to have sex. Something she tries to fix with a woman named Dr. Spencer (Tasha Smith), but the ecstasy, and other things, are too good to just give up. Leading you to wonder if perhaps Zoe may be able to have it all, or whether her secrets will destroy all she has worked and fought so hard for.

Praise

Being that I went to see this movie with a Black majority audience, naturally, there was talking throughout the movie and damn if I didn’t want to join them. For truly the stuff which happens in the film will have you wanting to mumble something under your breath. Whether it is because of the things Zoe gets into while on a downward spiral; the things Quinton does around, or to, her; or even just waiting for anyone, whether it is Jason or Nina, to catch her; you will easily get caught up in the moment and want to throw your own two cents in there.

Criticism

While the book for Addicted came before Tyler Perry’s movie, oddly enough his film was overall more entertaining. If just because Leal as Zoe has this Olivia Pope vibe and Brina very much seems like a gladiator. And with probably the most interesting thing about this film being the sex scenes, or the moments before Zoe initiates sex, it makes you wonder if any thought was really put into making Jason interesting, or even making Zoe’s 2^nd sex partner Corey (Tyson Beckford) more than someone she just meets in the club? For while I get that the focus is on Zoe, at times I felt like there was a stronger need to show how guilty she felt and why. For while it is understood her husband is attractive and good to the kids, I feel the stuff we saw in TP’s Temptation gave us reason to root for the relationship seen on screen. As for Addicted, to me, Zoe and Jason at best just came off like two attractive actors mashed together, due to name recognition, who represented two people who had babies and have sex every now and then.

Overall: TV Viewing

It is sort of sad that, in the grand scheme of things, you could make the argument TP may have been inspired by Zane’s work when it comes to him creating Temptation. However, like with The Maze Runner, while you may see the film was inspired, in the long run, there is this sense that only what worked, and was good, was taken before the film went to find its own voice. Now, as for Addicted, being that the sex addiction angle isn’t made to be that interesting, since more so it seemed Zoe was bored in her marriage than a sex addict, I must admit while I was laughing at what my fellow theater goers were saying, and thought they made interesting points, I think this movie would have been a lot more dull without their commentary. Hence the TV Viewing label for truly the comments made throughout the film I think are what made this not something to skip. For while no  performance was bad, and the sex I’m sure will get some hot and bothered, the story just didn’t explore any character enough for me to feel like I should be invested. And, in the long run, I feel that sex was used to compensate for a weak story.

Things To Note

I have no idea who Diamond (Kat Graham) was supposed to be in this movie. Was she Quinton’s live in lover, assistant, or what?

When it comes to nudity, you’ll mostly be seeing buttocks more than breast or anything else.