BrendanW 
“Pleasantly surprised” is the best way I can describe my reaction to this film. Despite seeing a film like this with the adorable Dakota Johnson and the very funny Rebel Wilson, it just looked like a very run-of-the-mill romantic comedy. However, it turned out to be a fairly pleasant and very funny movie with just the right amount of comedy and pathos required. The plot involves a number of characters trying to enjoy the single life while also dealing with relationship politics involving a bunch of possible suitors. We have the main story of Alice (Johnson) who wants to take a break from her boyfriend and explore herself in New York City. There she meets the free-spirited Robin (Wilson), who works with her at a law firm and also tries to integrate her into the world of singles life. Alice’s sister Meg (Mann) is baby-crazy and she finds a boyfriend… but it’s moments after she’s made a huge decision that could impact his life too. Finally, we have Lucy (Alison Brie) who visits the same bar every day to enter the world of online dating while the bartender (who is a huge ‘player’) starts to have feelings for her.
The comedic talent in this film is quite good. Dakota Johnson is basically the “straight man” during the film although she does have her moments (a scene in which she is worried about getting “Dexter’d” is worth a good chuckle) and she is very relatable, which certainly helps as she is the one we follow throughout most of the film. Leslie Mann is probably the best part of the film. She’s played similar roles to this many times, most notably in films made by her husband, Judd Apatow, but she never feels like she’s just playing the same character over and over again. She exudes a certain realism and natural style of acting that makes me feel like I’m watching a real person and not just a character played by an actress. Rebel Wilson is also very funny but doesn’t appear in as much of the film as I expected. Still, she gets plenty of very funny moments (the montage in which she and Dakota cover up their hangover from the night before is a classic, especially the scene that immediately follows it) and she has great chemistry with Dakota. Her and Mann also have some very unexpected funny moments together as well like for example when Rebel reacts differently to a pregnancy test (I won’t say whose test) than the other two expect. Finally, Alison Brie is also very adorable and despite her character being a little extraneous, she fits in well with the film too.
This is a funny film. There are some very funny situations but more important than that, I found a lot of it to be realistic and appropriate to everyone’s characters. The writing is pretty good but what really stands out to me are the performances and the way in which everyone is more grounded than characters in a movie like this typically are… again… especially Mann! Back to the writing though, which is pretty solid. I enjoy how everyone has their own stories but they’re also kind of connected throughout the film as well either through friendship or mutual acquaintances. The only one that seems weirdly disconnected from the film is Alison Brie as Lucy. Her story is almost too disconnected from everything else and every time we focus on her and the bartender, it almost seems like it’s leaving the main story for too long and entering a different movie. Her story also has a very… strange conclusion. I won’t give it away but it is odd to say the least and doesn’t feel entirely earned.
I like the film, it has some good performances, a few interesting plot twists and a conclusion that may surprise casual fans of the romantic comedy genre.
*** ½
Rating System:
* (Brutal; the worst rating)
** (Some elements keep it from being awful but still not very good)
*** (Completely watchable; a rental as old-timers might say)
**** (Great film with a few things here and there keeping it from being perfect)
***** (Flawless; a true achievement)
