• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

In Memoriam 1942 – 2013 | ROGEREBERT..COM REVIEWS HOW TO BE SINGLE | Christy Lemire February 12, 2016 | Think of “How to Be Single” as a cinematic Whitman’s Sampler: There are enough pieces that work to offset the pieces that don’t. And “pieces” really is the key word here, because this romantic comedy about the dating adventures of young people in the big city feels like Print Page it consists of several bits scattered about and then loosely tied together. Like 18 Cohesively, it’s just a snip 0 or two away from those WATCH NOW Tweet insipid Garry Marshall ensemble comedies that come out around various holidays. (And on this Valentine’s Day, it’s certainly preferable to his 2010 film “Valentine’s Day.”) One subplot here seems so disconnected from all the others, it could have been eliminated entirely and not made much of a difference to the central story. From a tonal perspective, though, director Christian Ditter pulls off a pretty tricky feat in balancing the film’s pervasive bawdiness with moments of real substance and heart. And he’s got such a winning cast—including Dakota Johnson, Rebel Wilson, Leslie Mann, Jake Lacy, Damon Wayans Jr. and Anders Holm—that the whole experience ends up being way more enjoyable than you might expect. Loosely based on the novel by Liz Tuccillo, co-author of “He’s Just Not That Into You,” “How to Be Single” follows several characters and their romantic entanglements—or their strenuous efforts to avoid them. At the start, we see Johnson’s character, sweet and shy Alice, insisting to her longtime boyfriend at Wesleyan, Josh (Nicholas Braun), that they should see what it’s like to date other people before settling comfortably into a lifetime of monogamy together. Then it’s off to that hotbed of singledom known as New York City, where Alice accepts a job as a paralegal at a prestigious law firm and quickly sparks up a friendship with the brashly confident and unapologetically promiscuous Robin (Rebel Wilson), who takes Alice under her wing and teaches her … how to be single. Hence the title. This means random, late-night hookups with Tom (Anders Holm), the flirty party boy who owns the local bar, but also the possibility of something more substantial with handsome and successful single dad David (Damon Wayans Jr.), whom she meets at an alumni mixer. One of the best parts of the script from Abby Kohn & Marc Silverstein (“He’s Just Not That Into You”) and Dana Fox (“Couples Retreat”)—although those previous films theoretically wouldn’t provide much cause for optimism—is the way that it judges none of the characters for their sexual choices. Robin, who proudly proclaims that her apartment is just a place where she goes to shower in the morning after staying out all night, is having the best time of everyone in this movie—and everyone in Manhattan, for that matter. And, not to give away how any of these story lines turn out, it’s rather refreshing to find that not everyone ends up coupled up and happy. Some end up alone—and happy. There are actual permutations and unpredictable outcomes here. Also in the mix are Alice’s sister, Meg (Leslie Mann), a fiercely independent obstetrician who insists she doesn’t want a baby of her own—until she does—and the adorably goofy Ken (Jake Lacy), with whom she’s reluctant to get involved because he’s so much younger. (And if you’re keeping score at home, yes, it’s a bit distracting that Johnson and Mann are 17 years apart but they’re supposed to be sisters; having said that, the two actresses also share several scenes together that radiate real warmth and tenderness.) Which brings us to the one piece that doesn’t really fit: a subplot involving Alison Brie as Lucy, who’s scientifically broken down all the online dating services converted by Web2PDFConvert.com in hopes of marrying the perfect man. She’s sort of a preppy, Type A-cliché, which is intentional—and which is supposed to make her potential romantic connection with Tom such a surprise. (Her entire existence in his bar, which is directly beneath her apartment, consists of using it for free Wi-Fi and meeting bad blind dates there.) The fact that Brie makes this crazy-eyed character tolerable is a testament to the likability of her presence. But there’s really nothing that ties her to the rest of the narrative, which renders her a bit of an afterthought. When Lucy shows up at Alice’s rooftop birthday party with yet another would-be soul mate (Jason Mantzoukas, enjoyably odd as always), it’s like: How does she even know Alice? They’ve never had a single conversation. Did everybody who hangs out at the bar get an Evite? That’s the tough part, though, of telling a story with an ensemble cast and giving everyone time to shine. It would have been lovely to see more of Wayans Jr., as well—although he gets one brief scene toward the absolute end that’s just devastating. (You will sob. And it’s earned.) At the film’s center, though, Johnson serves as our sweetly relatable guide through a sea of big personalities—a woman in her early 20s who questions both her loneliness and the need to be someone’s girlfriend. As in “Fifty Shades of Grey,” Johnson once again reveals a naturalism on camera that’s magnetic, and a keen sense of sly comic timing. Director Christian Ditter, meanwhile, displays a surprising amount of artistry in depicting her journey: He creates the sensation that we’re watching one long, fluid process as Alice moves into her tiny Brooklyn apartment, piece by piece. And when she descends a fire escape staircase to catch a quiet moment alone during her birthday party, it looks as if she’s floating on the night sky. Like “Sex and the City,” which will surely come to mind as you’re watching this, “How to Be Single” exists in a magical New York City full of stylish wardrobes and sprawling apartments—but there are worse places to visit, especially on a holiday weekend in February. WATCH NOW More Reviews and a Few Great Offers! Ads by Adblade See The Most Unrecognizable Celebs After Plastic Surgery. Only 40% Of People Can Recognize Them. VeryHangry The secret money source of Obama, Clinton and Bush... Oxford Club Is this "Genius Pill" really BANNED in 49 States Except Virginia? BrainHackNews 1 Food That Kills Diabetes? Simple Blood Sugar Fix Shocking and embarrassing photos caught on camera. It's amazing what alcohol does to some people. Embarrassing Photos Most Random Hilarious Photos Captured Online Auto Overload POPULAR BLOG POSTS 30 Minutes on: "The Revenant" Matt Zoller Seitz The greatest Man Cav e mov ie of the last 10 y ears, made to be v iewed from a black leather sofa. Timeless Horror: The 25th Anniversary of "The Silence of the Lambs" Susan Wloszczyna An appreciation of Jonathan Demme's "The Silence of the Lambs" on its 25th anniv ersary . Who do you read? Good Roger, or Bad Roger? Roger Ebert This message came to me from a reader named Peter Sv ensland. He and a fr... Why Leo winning an Oscar for "The Revenant" would be bad for acting Matt Zoller Seitz Art is not an endurance test. POPULAR REVIEWS converted by Web2PDFConvert.com Deadpool Risen converted by Web2PDFConvert.com The Witch 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi Reveal Comments comments powered by Disqus HOW TO BE SINGLE (2016) Cast Dakota Johnson as Alice Rebel Wilson as Robin Damon Wayans, Jr. as David Anders Holm as Tom Alison Brie as Lucy Nicholas Braun as Josh Jake Lacy as Ken Jason Mantzoukas as George Leslie Mann as Meg Director Christian Ditter Writer (novel "How to Be Single") Liz Tuccillo Writer Abby Kohn Marc Silverstein Dana Fox converted by Web2PDFConvert.com Writer (screen story) Abby Kohn Marc Silverstein Cinematographer Christian Rein Composer Fil Eisler Editor Tia Nolan Comedy, Romance Rated R for sexual content and strong language throughout. 95 minutes A D V E R T I S E M E N T SUBSCRIBE TO OUR MAILING LIST Enter Your Email Address Subscribe A D V E R T I S E M E N T The Ebert Club is our hand-picked selection of content for Ebert fans. You will receive a weekly newsletter full of movie-related tidbits, articles, trailers, even the occasional streamable movie. Club members also get access to our members-only section on RogerEbert.com converted by Web2PDFConvert.com Premiere Member : $20.00USD - yearly A D V E R T I S E M E N T REVIEWS RSS IN THEATERS Forsaken Race Risen Rolling Papers The Mermaid The Witch Embrace of the Serpent A War Already Tomorrow in Hong Kong Cabin Fever converted by Web2PDFConvert.com MOVIE REVIEWS Reviews Great Movies BLOGS Roger Ebert's Journal Chaz's Blog MZS Far Flungers Tom Shales At Large Scanners CHANNELS Balder and Dash Demanders Thumbnails Interviews Festivals & Awards Sundance Life Itself Cannes Tributes to Roger Letters Opening Shots Project CONTRIBUTORS Roger Ebert Chaz Ebert Matt Zoller Seitz Brian Tallerico Simon Abrams Godfrey Cheshire Odie Henderson Glenn Kenny Christy Lemire Sheila O'Malley Peter Sobczynski Susan Wloszczyna Nick Allen Matt Fagerholm Ali Arikan Steven Boone Danny Bowes Dan Callahan Seongyong Cho Olivia Collette Brian Doan Mark Dujsik Steve Erickson Sam Fragoso Noah Gittell Ian Grey Scott Jordan Harris Wael Khairy Ben Kenigsberg Joyce Kulhawik Donald Liebenson Craig D.

Load more

  8

Copy Link