How to be Single, directed by Christan Ditter, is comedy film based off of a book written by Liz Tuccillo. The movie stars Dakota Johnson, Rebel Wilson, Leslie Mann, Alison Brie, Damon Wayans Jr., Anders Holm, Nicholas Braun, Jake Lacy, Jason Mantzoukas, Colin Jost, Sarah Ramos, Vanessa Rubio, and Kevin Yamada.
The Story:
Alice (Johnson) breaks up with Josh (Braun) because she's afraid.
Robin (Wilson) parties all the time and loves being single.
Tom (Holm) is a womanizing bartender who falls for Lucy (Brie).
Ken (Lacy) falls for Alice's sister Meg (Mann).
David (Wayans) is not dealing well with the loss of his wife.
Throw all these folks together in the middle of New York and chaos ensues.
The Review:
I was afraid this movie would be filled with cliches and all the same slapstick comedy we've seen a million times leading it down a road of mediocrity that few films can recover from. While there is some of that, Christian Ditter has actually put together an entertaining comedy that brings some fresh perspectives to the modern dating world and isn't afraid to go left when you think it's going to turn right. There are some very well written and heartfelt moments sprinkled in among the more comedic elements, most of which are also handled very well.
My other concern with this movie was that we might get an overdose of Rebel Wilson's, at times, excessively over the top antics and, while there is some of that, she is relegated to the background and seems to only show up at just the right times. Dakota Johnson continues to prove herself to be a very likable personality on screen and she moves leaps and bounds ahead of what I thought was quite honestly a pretty decent performance in Fifty Shades of Grey, all things considered. I also really enjoyed Anders Holm as the classic bartender who owns everyone in the room at all times. He plays both the classic version of the character as well as bringing a little more thoughtfulness and heart to a role that could have been more of a throwaway personality.
The Verdict:
How to be Single is a fun romp through what the single life may or may not be like in the modern urban climate. Either way, it is a fun and fresh take on the genre and should make for a very popular chick flick and date choice going in to the Valentine's Day weekend.
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