FilmSnobReviews

Title: Man Up
MPAA Rating: R
Director: Ben Palmer
Starring: Lake Bell, Simon Pegg, Ophelia Lovibond
Runtime: 1 hr 28 mins

What It Is: Nancy (Bell) is an absolute cynic when it comes to love and relationships. Likewise she isn’t the most socially confident of lasses. On her way to her parents 40th anniversary party she meets Jessica (Lovibond) on a train. Jessica is reading a self-help book, and on her way to meet a date whose read the same book. Thinking Nancy could do with reading this book Jessica leaves her copy for her. In an attempt to give the book back Nancy gets mistaken for Jessica by her blind date Jack (Pegg). After Jack introduces himself Nancy goes along with the assumption that she is Jessica, and off we go!

What We Think: This is a very refreshing romantic comedy. Not only is Lake Bell quirky and funny but her British accent was pretty believable once the film got going. Pegg proves he can be a romantic lead, and who saw that coming? Ben Palmer’s direction is sure-handed and well enough. It leaves a bit to be desired in terms of it’s narrative and frankly it’s ending is cliche riddled. Likewise it too often tries to take the easy road instead of actual reinventing the broken down wheel that is the genre.   

Our Grade: B-, There’s enough creativity in the storytelling to separate this film from the diluted genre it’s in. Being British changes the whole because it isn’t often a good British RomCom arrives on the scene. I’m going to recommend this one for fans of the genre, or anyone just looking to have a night in with a movie. It has a really cool soundtrack to go along with it as well, so it also has that going for it!