Although I’m blessed -- or cursed -- with a high tolerance for bad movies, I Melt with You tested my limits. This painful drama about four middle-aged guys sharing their miseries during a reunion filled with unbridled debauchery seems targeted to masochists only. Fine actors Jeremy Piven, Christian McKay, Rob Lowe and Thomas Jane definitely deserve better. So do viewers.

However, things start out on a positive note as we are introduced to the main characters, who seem very excited about participating in their upcoming annual reunion. Richard (Jane), Ron (Piven), Jonathan (Lowe) and Tim (McKay) attended college together -- and have kept in touch through these yearly get-togethers for the past 25 years. At first glance, they all appear happy and successful.

But we later find out each one is facing a serious personal crisis. Richard, a high school English teacher, believes he’s a failure because his potential as a writer hasn’t been fulfilled. Ron fears an upcoming FBI investigation. Tim has just lost someone dear to him, and physician Jonathan can’t help feeling guilty about over-medicating his patients, among other ethical lapses. Plus a mysterious pact from the past threatens the very existence of the group.

It soon becomes clear why these men have continued to meet every year. Their reunions provide them with an escape from reality. Jonathan brings lots of pills. The liquor flows freely, and access to shots and cocaine poses no problem. The friends take advantage of all this in a beautiful location where no one recognizes them. Unfortunately, their self-destructive behavior knows no bounds this time. So the 25th reunion spins out of control to the wildest background music of the year. Dire consequences ensue. And a local police officer (Carla Gugino) becomes very curious about what’s been happening in her jurisdiction.        

Whether you’re male or female, going through a mid-life crisis is no picnic. But watching the way it’s depicted in I Melt with You may be even worse.    

(Released by Magnolia Pictures and rated “R” for pervasive drug use and language, some violence and sexual content.)

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