Director: Christian Ditter
Starring: Dakota Johnson, Rebel Wilson, Leslie Mann, Alison Brie, Anders Holm, Jake Lacey.
Christian Ditter, director of Love, Rosie, which, I have to add, I thoroughly enjoyed, gives us a not so romantic or comic film on How To Be Single, tackling how messy adulthood and relationships can be. (And what is it with rooftops Ditter?)
Having quite a strong cast of characters it's central to Alice, having come away from a serious relationship to spread her wings in the Big Apple. It seems she's not sure what she actually wants and goes to and fro between wanted to be free and single to being lonely and needing that self gratification of being loved and wanted.
The other characters such as her brooding sister nurse and her outrageous and liberating colleague and friend offer opposing ends of a spectrum, this coupled with some other characters that flit in and out of the storylines, such as Alison Brie's desperate yet conscientious Lucy.
Relating to my own singledom, it's actually very one sided and seems little is drawn from single people's experiences and more so of people struggling with a life of solitude. It comes quite close to missing the point entirely, only to be given some deep and meaningful revelation at the conclusion.
There's some hilarious moments, like the sauna scene but then other parts seem to just attempt to be funny, though well scripted and actually very well shot, it's unfortunately predictable and feels like it's on constant fast forward.
Dakota Johnson took the lead as Alice, after Lily Collins dropped out and does a fine job portraying the beautiful yet bashful noob to being free and available. Leslie Mann plays her sister, but is pretty much the same character she has always played.
Though very much from the female perspective, the two key male characters are actually highly entertaining, and again offer extreme stereotypes of either end of a spectrum. Anders Holm's brutally honest barman/player extraordinaire and Jake Lacy's down to earth and highly likeable receptionist.
The star is definitely Rebel Wilson. She gets the best lines, and this is so her. She's like the devil incarnate and is the true highlight of the movie. Fil Eisler deserves a mention too, his score is suits the film and sets the mood perfectly.
It's a coming of age drama with moments of sweetness among moments of trashiness. It can, shamefully, be a good reflection of modern era romances, however, not much about being single but more of exploring and taking advantages of your freedom.
Running Time: 7
The Cast: 7
Performance: 7
Direction: 7
Story: 6
Script: 6
Creativity: 6
Soundtrack: 7
Job Description: 6
The Extra Bonus Point: 5 just for Rebel Wilson.
Would I buy the Blu-ray?: Hmm, Maybe if on special.