Movie Review Monday: Man Up
Welcome to another edition of Movie Review Monday!
This week's film is the 2015 romantic comedy, Man Up, starring Simon Pegg and Lake Bell.
The misleading title aside, I liked this movie. It had some odd elements (which I'll get to in a bit) but overall it felt like a very genuine, silly, and heartfelt story.
The premise follows single 30-something Nancy (Bell) as she stumbles into and lies her way through a blind date that wasn't meant for her with Jack (Pegg). The hilarity obviously ensues but they also hit it off. We're left to wonder if they can really work out if they aren't being completely honest with each other.
I feel like I've been watching a fair amount of romantic comedies lately. They're hard to pull off without being hokey or melodramatic. Keeping them grounded can end up being depressing and/or boring, but the good ones can pull it off beautifully. While this isn't the best out there, it does the genre better than most. I enjoy both of these actors, which helps. Bell does a convincing British accent throughout (why they didn't get an English actor, I don't know) and Pegg is his usual fun, charming self. The supporting cast isn't given much to do. They almost detract from the movie. One character, Sean, seems to be from a completely different movie, and really took me out of the more heartfelt, genuine fun moments between Nancy and Jack.
I'd recommend this movie as a sort of "finding love in unexpected places" type romantic comedy. We could also use some of that advice as we look for a relationship. Opening ourselves up and putting ourselves out there can help us connect when we least expect it.
Check out Man Up streaming right now on Netflix.