Review: 'How to Be Single'
Dakota Johnson and Rebel Wilson offer us modern pizzazz in this harmless Drew Barrymore-produced romantic comedy.
Set in the backdrop of the ever-dependable New York City, recent college graduate Alice (Dakota Johnson) comes to the assumption that, after languishing in a serious four-year- relationship, she must venture into adult life as a singleton in search of something more.
Working as a paralegal at a top law firm, and bunking with her obstetrician sister Meg (Leslie Mann), Alice soon meets Robin (Rebel Wilson), a high-spirited secretary who encourages a life of fun and frolics with no strings attached.
Having arrived onto the mainstream scene in 2014 with the lacklustre British adaptation of Cecelia Ahern’s novel Love, Rosie, German-born filmmaker Christian Ditter re-emerges with a new romantic-comedy that, this time, offers more punch than its forebear.
Adapted from the book by Sex and the City writer Liz Tuccillo – and co-produced by Flower Films’ Nancy Juvonen and Drew Barrymore – How to Be Single essentially offers a guide of not necessarily how – but more importantly, why – one would choose to be single.
After gaining attention in the significant role of Anastasia Steele in Fifty Shades of Grey (2015) – and currently starring alongside Tilda Swinton and Ralph Fiennes in the titillating A Bigger Splash (2015) – Johnson is swiftly becoming one of Hollywood’s most impressive rising stars; enhancing a refreshing likability and ambiguity that is suitably highlighted in her latest role of Alice.
The same could be said for Johnson’s co-star, Leslie Mann who offers a tender stance as Meg, a workaholic doctor unable to overlook love after regretfully gaining it. Mann’s humane and humorous character is the rational component needed in a film heavily integrated with traits of the genre.
The same cannot be said for Lucy (Alison Brie), a twenty-something singleton who devotes her entire time to tracking down a man to fall in love with, marry and live happily ever after – have we not seen this before? Brie – who’s previous charm outshone the likes of Emily Blunt in The Five-Year Engagement (2012) – is sadly misused in a fruitless and monotonous character that contradicts the suggested importance of single life (at one point flashing her bra to a crowd of boisterous men for no valid reason) and does nothing except leave viewers confused.
Wilson is seamless in the role of witty best friend Robin, yet her non-stop puns, gags and insults are massively underplayed - leaving you feeling cheated out of what you hoped was Wilson’s time to shine.
Despite constant reassurance that single life is a stipulation, and enjoyable performances from its three leads, How to Be Single does contain glitches that are borderline tedious – one being the illicit use of emojis and texting onscreen. Despite indulging in rom-com conventions, scorning certain clichés, and including an unnecessarily serious tone mid-way, the film does scorn certain clichés; succeeding in its intention to subvert the typical, modern single girl. The film certainly offers nothing new to the table, but it does emanate refreshing and energetic performances from its leading cast. Johnson, Wilson and Mann rejuvenate everyday roles through their wit and patent chemistry; working in full harmony to salvage an otherwise conventional rom-com.
3/5