39. Swinging with the Finkels

After nine years together, things have gotten a little stale for Alvin (Martin Freeman) and Ellie (Mandy Moore).  Wanting to save their marriage together, they begin to seek advice from some of their other friends.    They try role playing, or making things more intimate, or even adventurous activities with a cucumber, but nothing seems to work.  When it's mention that "If they aren't getting it at home, they are going to get it somewhere else", Ellie decides that maybe they should try swinging.  That way everything is out in the open and there isn't any cheating or lying.  Alvin seems a little hesitant but with some prodding from his friends decides to give it a try.

They place an ad online and after interviewing a number of interesting couples, they finally settle on one.  But before anything can happen Alvin learns that his best friend Peter (Jonathan Silverman) had an affair and possibly has an STD now.  When Peter's wife Janet (Melissa George) finds out she keeps him out of the house.  Seeing what sleeping with another person can do, Ellie seems to get nervous about the situation.  Meanwhile when Alvin asked Peter why he did it, Peter said that they too were going through a dry spell but didn't try anything to fix it.

When they meet up with the other couple, things seem a bit awkward.  But they manage to spend the night with them.  In the morning, everything seems different and what they hoped would bring them together actually did the opposite.  Alvin goes and stays with Peter in his new apartment while the couple takes some time apart from each other to figure things out.

I'm sorry, but I don't think the idea of swinging would ever help a relationship.  If you need to sleep with someone else in order to feel attractive to your spouse again, then maybe you should just get a divorce.  Don't over complicate the situation.  Anyway, the movie had it's moments that were cute but it just seemed like weird casting to begin with.  Why pair Mandy Moore and Martin Freeman together?  Plus it seems like Mandy Moore has trouble with chemistry in a lot of her movies.  But Martin Freeman?  Adorable as usual.

Rating: **

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tKycPLM0po