How to Be Single

Starring: Dakota Johnson, Rebel Wilson, Leslie Mann, Damon Wayans Jr., Anders Holm, Alison Brie, Nicholas Braun, Jake Lacy, Jason Mantzoukas
Directed by: Christian Ditter
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, Romance
2016

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A woman (Dakota Johnson) new to the city and newly single befriends a party girl (Rebel Wilson) who actively shuns relationships.

Review:

Tim: It's so easy to make a bad romantic comedy that you almost to sit up any time someone takes the time and effort to subvert those expectations. We get a dozen romantic comedy a year (at least) and most them are fairly generic. I really appreciate when a director, cast, and crew give more than the minimum. How to Be Single isn't going to be a classic, but it is a good, entertaining, funny movie.

The "R" rating definitely helps. It's not as unique as it used to be, but it still provides a way to differentiate a movie from the myriad PG-13, watered down rom-coms we typically get. It allows for some very funny yet vulgar moments. It felt like this movie didn't push the envelope as far as others have, which isn't a bad thing at all. It helps make the movie feel more like real life, without straying too far into over-the-top territory. There are some legitimately funny moments throughout the film. The "what am I, a doctor?" line is one of my favorites, as is the cab ride "home" towards the end of the movie. There were enough memorably funny lines to keep me laughing throughout the film. I really appreciated that. Comedies routinely fall down because they aren't actually funny. That wasn't the case here and that is a big reason why I enjoyed the movie as much as I did.

The cast isn't bad at all. I'm still not completely sold on Dakota Johnson, but she is relatable enough to work in the role. She's a bit vanilla as an actress, but she did what she needed to do here. Rebel Wilson wasn't as out there as she has been in other films, but she was definitely told to just show up and do her thing. I don't mind her and occasionally find her humorous, so it mostly works in the context of this film. I really like Leslie Mann and always look forward to seeing her in films. I wish she had a bigger role, but she uses her time effectively. Damon Wayans Jr. was fine, but didn't do anything special. I like Anders Holm and enjoyed his performance here. I'm a huge Alison Brie fan (from her "Community" days), but I really wish she had a bigger role here. She's almost an afterthought for much of the film, which is really unfortunate. She's talented enough to deserve a bigger role. She does a good job with what she was given, though. I'm continuing to be impressed with Jake Lacy and I once again thoroughly enjoyed him here. He has this great everyman quality that makes you relate to him. You can't help liking the guy. I hope he continues to get better roles, because he works so well whenever he's on screen. I also find myself liking Jason Mantzoukas more and more. He was pretty restrained here, but he always adds to movies. As a whole, I didn't really have any major complaints about the cast.

How to Be Single isn't exactly original, nor is it different enough to truly stand apart. And, that's okay. It is an above average, solid, funny, entertaining romantic comedy. There's nothing wrong with that. We've seen over the last decade plus how easy it is to make a bad romantic comedy. This movie avoids that common trap and emerged as a worthwhile film.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 7


If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Bachelorette, Pitch Perfect, Fifty Shades of Grey