Man Up – Movie Review by Frances Winston

Directed by: Ben Palmer

Starring: Simon Pegg, Lake Bell, Olivia Williams, Rory Kinnear, Stephen Campbell

Moore, Sharon Horgan, Harriet Walters, Ken Stott, Dean Charles Chapman, Ophelia Lovibond

In cinemas May 29th

Have you ever had someone walk up to you and ask you if you’re someone else?

Usually they are meeting someone for the first time and have no idea what they look like. While the majority of people would fess up the whole premise of this movie is based on what would happen if you didn’t.

Bell plays Nancy, a single 30-something whose sister (Horgan) is trying to encourage her to put herself out there and meet men. When a complete stranger called Jack (Pegg) accosts her under the clock at Waterloo Station thinking she is his blind date instead of coming clean she decides to play along and pretend to be Jessica. The pair really hit it off at first but when an encounter with an old admirer forces Nancy to admit the truth Jack is less than impressed. However, his story isn’t as straightforward as he had claimed and an encounter with his ex-wife (Williams) forces them together for a bit longer and they both tell each other a few home truths before parting ways. However, after saying their goodbyes they realize how deeply their encounter has affected them both but having not exchanged phone numbers they’ll have to go to great lengths to reconnect.

Advertised as a rom-com this is also something of a comedy of errors, although American Bell’s English accent is surprisingly good so you are never distracted from her performance. She has great comic timing and isn’t afraid to make a fool of herself which is always a good thing. She and Pegg have a great chemistry which is just as well since the whole movie hinges on them.

Although there are plenty of clichés and Rory Kinnear’s creepy admirer is ridiculously OTT this is surprisingly good fun. It’s an interesting premise and they don’t overplay it with the revelation of her true identity coming sooner rather than later. There are a few plot holes but nothing that grates on you and the pace is good, building to a suitably chaotic finish (that seems slightly inspired by Love Actually).

Slightly more original than standard rom-com fare this is funny and touching and entertaining. At under 90 minutes it doesn’t outstay its welcome and it should warm the heart of even the deepest cynic. It’s not Shakespeare but you won’t regret the entrance fee to the cinema.