How to Be Single : Movie Review


How to Be Single (2016) - Movie PosterA romantic comedy focusing on unattached New Yorkers looking for hook-ups and/or love, "How to Be Single" is undermined by one egregious issue: with only a couple exceptions, the characters are insufferable messes, not only in need of a reality check but undeserving of happily-right-nows. The screenplay by Abby Kohn, Marc Silverstein and Dana Fox is loosely based on Liz Tuccillo's novel (whose self-help book "He's Just Not That Into You" was turned into a much smarter 2009 film), and their two-dimensional writing for the film's would-be appealing ensemble makes it exceedingly difficult to care about what will happen with these self-involved, frequently irrational individuals.

Dakota Johnson (2015's "Fifty Shades of Grey") is the easy bright spot as Alice Kepley, a blessedly flawed but still sanely adjusted twenty-something who experiences second thoughts over having broken up with longtime boyfriend Josh (Nicholas Braun) once she gets a taste of post-collegiate single life. Paralegal coworker Robin (Rebel Wilson) promptly takes Alice under her wing, advising her to play the field every single night and use her home as a place to keep her clothes and occasionally bathe. Alice's potential suitors include Tom (Anders Holm), a noncommittal bartender who has no interest in dating but still has one eye on the terminally single, marriage-obsessed Lucy (Alison Brie); widowed building developer David (Damon Wayons Jr.), who doesn't dare allow another woman get close to little daughter Phoebe (Zani Jones Mbayise), and ex Josh, already engaged to be married but nonchalant about messing around. Meanwhile, Alice's elder sister, fiercely independent obstetrician Meg (Leslie Mann), has no interest in being a parent until she spends 30 seconds alone with a baby. Shortly after learning she is pregnant, she meets a great guy, Ken (Jake Lacy), then makes the decision not to tell him she's having a child. Like you do.

See Dustin Putman, TheFilmFile.com. for full review

Author : Dustin Putman, TheFilmFile.com.