How to be Single – Film Review by Fran Winston

Directed by: Christian Ditter
Starring: Dakota Johnson, Rebel Wilson, Alison Brie, Leslie Mann

In cionemas February 19th

In a season of extremely male centric movies you would be hard pressed to find a female face smiling out from any of the movie posters in your local cinema so I was quite excited to see that this offering boasted not one but four female leads. It also appeared to be less saccharine and twee than many offerings that boast a female cast. However looks can be deceptive so naturally I had to see did this deliver.

Based on the book of the same name it follows Alice (Johnson) as she takes a break from her boyfriend and finds herself being guided through the single jungle by the outrageous Robin (Wilson) who has this flying solo thing down – so much so that she treats it almost as a full time job. Meanwhile her sister Meg (Mann) is finding that her career as a doctor isn’t fulfilling her the way it used to be and so makes the decision to have a baby by sperm donor, while Alsion Brie’s Lucy spends her days trawling dating websites in search of the perfect man that ticks all her boxes.

So far so stereotypical and it doesn’t end there. There’s also the “man about town” who is shocked to discover he has feelings for a woman, the sensitive single dad who doesn’t know how to juggle dating and his child and the lovesick tomboy who just wants to be with his older woman no matter what. The thinking is clearly that if you throw enough cliches at something one of them is bound to stick.

In fairness this is not bad – just formulaic. The on screen relationships are all believable and the cast gel really well. There are some lovely moments – Mann plays a blinder in a scene that depicts her broodiness – and some very funny gags. It just al feels a bit like fast food – satisfying at the time but you’re hungry for more an hour later. However I did find I laughed out loud at a couple if scenes (there’s a morning after the night before scene that should crack up event he biggest cynic) and, if not fully satisfied, I did have a smile on my face at the end. This is pretty standard feel good rom com fare (dressed up as a feel good feminist movie) but it is perfect for a girl’s night out and should at least raise a grin. Sorry lads but this one is strictly for the ladies.