By TRENTON JUDD & NATALIE SACKET
Columnists
Trenton: 0 stars out of 5
“How to Be Single” is promoted as being a comedy, but this movie has no idea what it wants to be.
The plot, or lack there of, is about this girl named Alice, played by Dakota Johnson, who is dating this guy named Josh, played by Nicholas Braun. After Alice and Josh have been dating for four years, she suddenly decides to try and rediscover what it was like to be single by taking a break from their relationship, so she gets a job at a law firm in order to meet other people because that’s what any normal person would do, and she ends up meeting Robin, played by Rebel Wilson, who shows her the perks of a single life.
According to this movie, a single life means that if you’re single then you only go to places with the intention of hooking up with a random stranger and get them to buy you enough drinks until you feel the need to sleep with them. This movie has no direction even though it’s marketed as a comedy. The only jokes in the movie were clearly shot for the trailer. In the actual context of this movie, the jokes are out of place and do nothing for the development of the story or characters.
This movie is definitely not a drama, but the actors really overact to get you to feel bad for them. This simply causes a lot of groaning and a lot of looking at how much longer this thing could possibly go on for. By the way, this movie is about two hours so you will be groaning and waiting for a very long time or it will at least feel like an eternity.
There is not a single well-written character in this movie. All of these characters are carbon copy stereotypes, and they are all just using each other for a quick one night stand or just sleeping with each other for the purpose of self esteem. This movie does not understand the single life at all, and this movie doesn’t understand real human beings at all. Relationships don’t work like this in the real world.
The camera work was terrible, and at times it seemed like a child was making a home video with how much the camera was shaking. The soundtrack was obviously a top 40 playlist on a teenage girl’s iPod which was on shuffle, because none of the songs really synced up with what was happening on screen.
“How to Be Single” was not a comedy or a drama and it was not enjoyable. I do not recommend this movie at all.
Natalie: 2 stars out of 5
“How to be Single” has followed the guide of “How to be a Carbon-Copy Romantic Comedy.”
Though it is far from original, I still found the film entertaining. There’s something to be said for following the formula of a film, if it’s effective. This film is sort of a mash-up of “Sex in the City,” “The Back-up Plan” and “Bridesmaids.”
“How to be Single” is a bit raunchy at times, earning its R-rating. It’s funny and witty, keeping me entertained throughout the film.
The cast is lovable, with the adorable Dakota Johnson leading the film with her endearing presence. It’s nice to see her break away from the “50 Shades of Grey” franchise and pursue a role a bit less… harrowing. Rebel Wilson does a great job playing her usual role of Rebel Wilson. The woman doesn’t have much variety in her performances, but she’s always funny, so it works for her. She peppers in fantastic one-liners, her specialty, throughout the film. Johnson and Wilson share incredible on-screen chemistry, and I hope to see the pair team up on a future film. Allison Brie (known for “Community and Mad Men”) and Leslie Mann are effective supporting characters.
It’s a forward-thinking film about women dating in modern New York and the situations they can find themselves in. Alice (Johnson) is on a mission of self-discovery, when she meets Robin (Wilson) who is determined to teach Alice how to be single. She does this through lessons on sexual liberation, alcoholism and picking up guys at bars. The plot itself is shallow and lacks substance. It is confused on what makes a constructive relationship with others. Definitely, do not follow this film for life advice, just consider it a form of shallow entertainment.
Bottom Line: It’s a fun, heart-warming film about self-discovery and friendship; it’s a fun ride, though it won’t be breaking any box office records.