FILM REVIEW: 10 RULES FOR SLEEPING AROUND

Vince (Jesse Bradford), Cameron (Virginia Williams), Kate (Tammin Sursok) and Ben (Chris Marquette) in 10 Rules for Sleeping Around. 

Screw comedy

By John Esther

Vagina voracious Vince (Jesse Bradford) and conspicuous consumer Cameron (Virginia Williams) have what they call an "open" marriage. This means they can have other sex partners as long as they follow the "10 Rules for Sleeping Around." (Deplorably, none of these 10 rules promote safe sex.)

Vince and Cameron's best friends, cautious Kate (Tammin Sursok) and bummer Ben (Chris Marquette), are not married yet, but sexy times have been a bit slow, so Cameron and Vince offer them advice. Vince suggests Ben ask Kate for a threesome with another woman and Cameron suggests Kate get a pole...vaulter from Kate's past. 

Thanks to a series of events, every one of these New Yorker's has her or his theories, desires and commitment put to the test out in the Hamptons during the biggest party of the year, held by "I F#cked Everybody" author, Jeffrey Fields (Michael Mckean). Let the mayhem ensue. 

Somewhere between Sex and the City's banality and Three's Company misunderstandings, writer-director Leslie Greif's 10 Rules for Sleeping Around comes off as really bad television. About 10 minutes into this 94-minute movie I wanted it to be over. The acting is almost always in overdrive, the writing is on par with the worst you would find in any TV situation comedy and the reactionary gender stereotypes are tedious and cliched. Apparently, repressed sexuality is really what young people want. 

Hopefully the actors were paid well. It must be difficult for an actor when your director says you have to go out of character to get laughs. However, hysterical behavior is not necessarily comical. Notably, Kate's "spanking" scene with her lifestyle coach, Owen (Bryan Callen), is downright embarrassing. 

As a result nearly everyone in the movie is unconvincing and very annoying, especially Hugh (Reid Ewing), a virgin who refers to women in their late 20s as cougars. For his part, Hugh gets to scream a lot, run around naked and have a dog lick his butt. For Christ's sakes! 

The only two likable characters in 10 Rules for Sleeping Around are Nikki (Jamie Renee Smith) and Jaymee (Molly McCook). The "Jersey Shore" duo may be a bit crass, but they are comfortable with their freedom, sexuality and themselves.  

Fortunately, not all was lost. I did laugh four times during 10 Rules for Sleeping Around. But that hardly makes up for the pain during the rest of the time.