How to Be Single ***½ (2016, Dakota Johnson, Rebel Wilson, Leslie Mann, Alison Brie, Anders Holm, Damon Wayans Jr) – Movie Review

Like every big metropolis, New York City is full of lonely hearts seeking the right love match, and what Alice (Dakota Johnson), Robin (Rebel Wilson), Lucy (Alison Brie), Meg (Leslie Mann) have in common is plenty of attitude, some of it wrong-headed, so they have the need to learn how to be single. Oh, and maybe treat men a little bit better!

On the man’s side we have Anders Holm as nice barman Tom, Nicholas Braun, Colin Jost, Jake Lacy, Jason Mantzoukas and Damon Wayans Jr as David. The actors are mainly just eye candy, side issues, though they are proper actors too and do well. But it’s all about the four women stars, and they do a grand job of enlivening, refreshing and bringing personality to the material, even though Rebel Wilson is just doing the same familiar Rebel Wilson turn from Pitch Perfect.

With four women stars, its raunchy attitudes and even a witty wise voice-over, as well as the New York location, it seems indebted to Sex and the City. Hey, it’s all about girls having sex and the same city of New York. But, like I say, they keep it fresh and funny. In one way it differs from Sex and the City, and that’s that the quartet here don’t form a pack. Indeed, the multi-storylines don’t offer the women much bonding time together. And that’s a shame. The movie would be better off like that.

It’s good that the various storylines don’t end up predictably like you’d expect. It’s not so good that there’s a fair bit of sappy schmaltz, especially surrounding Damon Wayans Jr’s character, which simply adds screen time, without adding pleasure. It’s way at its best when it’s being funny, and, though a bit hit and miss, some of the time it is hilarious.

The screenplay by Abby Kohn, Marc Silverstein and Dana Fox, is based on the book by Liz Tuccillo. They’ve done a pretty good job of creating a sassy chick flick for 20something and 30something female audiences. Like the movies of Sex and the City, (well the first one anyway), it’s a safe bet for a girls’ night out.

© Derek Winnert 2016 Movie Review

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