MAN UP

UK, 2015, 88 minutes, Colour.
Lake Bell, Simon Pegg, Rory Kinnear, Olivia Williams, Ophelia Lovibond, Henry Lloyd- Hughes, Sharon Horgan, Stephen Campbell Moore, Ken Stott, Harriet Walter.
Directed by Ben Palmer.

Man Up as a title does not do justice to this comedy, with serious undertones. It is an amusing film with an appeal for both men and women in middle age, whether undergoing their crisis, or anticipating one, or just interested how men and women tick at this age.

It is something of a comedy of errors. Lake Bell is particularly good as Nancy, and with a British accent, a 34-year-old who has been for some years getting over a broken relationship, has a career as a journalist, something we don’t see much of, and is being urged on, especially by her married sister, to date and to make some romantic connections. We first see her invited to an engagement party, backing out, having room service at the hotel, being hounded to go down and being pushed to meet someone with whom she has no rapport.

Next day, on the train, she meets a rather prissy young career woman, Jessica (Olivia Lovibond) who is reading a bestseller on relationships, giving Nancy a little lecture, and leaving the book for Nancy to pick up. Jessica has planned to meet on a blind date a man under the clock at Waterloo Station. As Nancy hurries to give back the book (while Jessica is buying another one), Jack (Simon Pegg), who has been waiting, mistakes Nancy for Jessica. And the cautious Nancy throws caution to the winds and goes on a date with Jack, he incessantly talking, taking her to a bar, their having drinks, going to a bowling alley and exercising rivalry, going to another bar when Nancy meets Sean (Rory Kinnear in a somewhat over the top comic performance) who has had a crush on Nancy and causes her to reveal the truth before she was ready.

Some more rivalry and an encounter with Jack’s ex-wife and her boyfriend – with Nancy deciding to play up her connection with Jack, much to the amazement of his ex-wife, and with some slapstick consequences.

In the meantime, Nancy should have been at her parents’ 40th wedding anniversary to give the speech. Eventually she does get there, but so does Jack, relying on the good offices of Sean (which he should not have), and things get more or less sorted out to everyone’s satisfaction (except Sean’s).

There is quite an amount of witty and entertaining dialogue, audiences probably enjoying the farcical situations and the mixups, and probably pleased to see romance winning out for this middle-aged couple.

1. A brief romantic comedy? Characters, situations?

2. The age of the characters, a film for middle-aged audiences?

3. The comedy, situations, values, search for love and companionship?

4. The London settings, homes, bars, the streets, trains? The country, homes? The musical score?

5. Nancy, her age, Lake Bell and her English accent, timing? The situation, 34, the broken relationship, preparing to go to the engagement party, retreating, room service and the jokes with the man on the staff, the sister’s phone call, urging her to go down? The couple, her blunt remarks? A date, his gawky manner?

6. Nancy and her parents, 40 years married, preparing her speech, a relationship with her sister and brother-in-law, promises about making the speech?

7. On the train, the encounter with Jessica, talking on the phone, Jessica and the book, self-help, the bestseller, Jessica straightforward, interviewing Nancy? Nancy dozing, waking, the book with the note? Jessica’s comment about her negative attitudes? Nancy chasing Jessica at Waterloo Station? Jessica buying the new book? Under the clock, Jack recognising the book?

8. The mistake, the decision to carry on, the strength of her pretence, coming alive, responding to Jack and his talk?

9. Jack, 40, talking, hope for the date, his friend setting it up, his explanations and Nancy becoming Jessica?

10. Drinks, sharing, leaving the bar? Going to the bowling alley, the rivalry? Enjoying each other’s company? Going to the other bar, the encounter with Sean, the encounter in the toilet, Sean and his bribing Nancy, his crush on her? Jack discovering them, the truth and its effect?

11. Jack upset, the consequences? Going back to the bar because of the lost bag, the bike and the taxi? Exchanging lists?

12. Jack’s wife, boyfriend, the story, Nancy carrying on, pretending to be the girlfriend, talking and flirting, the dancing, accusing the wife of the affair? Jack in the toilet, crying? Slapstick, the extinguisher and the foam over the couple?

13. Jack, his attitude, changing, upset, missing Nancy, going to see Sean for her address? Driving the car with him, his recklessness? His dropping Jack at the wrong address?

14. Nancy, going to the train, the phone calls, the party?

15. The parents, their age, experience, the way they got on with each other, the banter? The father making a speech? Her sister’s response? Nancy arriving, her speech, telling the story and everybody responding?

16. Sean’s presence, Nancy rejecting him?

17. Jack, asking for Nancy’s address, the young man who had her as a babysitter, the running to the house?

18. The ousting of Sean? The reconciliation with Jack?

19. Everybody happy, the young people in the window, everybody dancing?