HOW TO BE SINGLE
US, 2016, 110 Minutes, Colour.
Dakota Johnson, Rebel Wilson, Leslie Mann, Damon Wayans Jr, Anders Holm, Nicholas Braun, Jake Lacy, Jason Mantzoukas, Allison Brie.
Directed By Christian Ditter.
This is a film which has a definite target audience, younger women in their 20s and 30s – though other women in the audience may well enjoy it, remembering their younger days as well as observing the behaviour of younger women and their dealing with relationships, commitment, marriage and family, as well as the freedom of being single.
While the director is male, the screenplay is definitely from a female perspective. Some of the men are sympathetic – but not all of them and not always.
This is one of those films which start off fairly raucously, audiences invited to enjoy the freedom, dating, drinking, sexual encounters – and, as the film goes on, settling down, developing issues of love and commitment, and some moralising by the end. This reviewer has often referred to this kind of filmmaking as the ‘Judd Apatow syndrome’ – and this is brought to awareness in the fact that one of the women at the centre of the film is Leslie Mann, Judd Apatow’s wife.
However, the story is that of Alice, played by Dakota Johnson after her adventures in Fifty Shades of Grey. We see her chance encounter with Josh in her college days, their four years together, and her feeling that life was narrowing in on her and that she needs some kind of time away from him. She has a job in a legal office where she encounters a very unlikely paralegal, Rebel Wilson. Rebel Wilson gives the same performance over and over, the wild one, the offhand remarks, the straight talk, the seeming good-time girl, but audiences do enjoy her screen presence.
She is Robin and takes Alice out on the town, introducing her to the barman who has a very free and easy attitude towards life and sex, Tom (Anders Holm). Alice is attracted, takes a risk, but she finds Tom too free. Tom, in the meantime, is interested in the gawky young woman, Lucy (Alison Brie) who spends time in the bar working on her computer. While she is not one of the main single characters, she does eventually find a good relationship with George (Jason Mantzoukas).
The third woman coping with how to be single is the older woman, Leslie Mann, Alice’s sister, who is a doctor who works in obstetrics, delivering babies, not wanting a baby of her own because of her dedication to her career but, in a key sequence, minding a little baby, tries valiantly to resist its cuteness (and the director certainly gets a great deal of cuteness from the baby’s face, smile and expressions) but succumbs. She wants to be pregnant but takes the IDF path. She is not interested in relationships but a man at Alice’s office, Ken (Jake Lacy) is attracted to her and not just for a one night stand, but devoted to her and, eventually, to the baby.
There are some amusing moments, some very raucous moments, some very bad judgements about relationships moments, but the film will probably appeal to that target audience while others will look on, probably more benignly than not.
1. The film for 20s and 30s women? Women’s interests, response? Men’s interest and response? The female perspective?
2. The New York settings – but universal stories? Single women, single men, bars, meetings, networks? Apartments, legal offices, hospitals, shops, the streets? The range of contemporary songs throughout the film?
3. Alice’s story and focus? The introduction to Lucy and the cafes? Meg at the hospital? Robin and her wildness?
4. Alice, the initial encounter, the relationship with Josh, in the corridor at college, help with the towel and the door shutting, the four years passing, the both remaining single but together, asking for time out from Josh, his being upset? The legal work, the meeting with Robin? Out on the town, the night, drinking? Tom and the bar? His philosophy of life, and about sex? Her relationship with Tom, the reaction, later, his apartment? His not having anything for breakfast, the tap not working – wanting the women to go? Meeting Josh again? Michelle, the bag, parents? Josh and his break? The party, the encounter with David, pleasant? The Christmas tree? The time with David, meeting Phoebe, her singing? David breaking with her, her not understanding? Wanting to be alone? Meeting with Robin, their friendship, straight talk? Her relationship with Meg, sharing ideas, hopes, Meg and her pregnancy, Ken at the party, Meg and giving birth?
5. Robin, Rebel Wilson and her type, wild on the town, sex and drugs, the crass language, raucous? The friendship with Alice? At work? The contrast with the parties? The truth about herself, her wealth? her friends, rich and raucous?
6. Meg, Alice’s sister, older, work in the hospital, the deliveries of the babies and her reaction? Single, devoted to her job, minding the baby, trying to resist its being cute? The IVF, her decision, becoming pregnant, her moods? Her support for Alice? Robin? The encounter with Ken the office, going out, the Christmas tree, her crazy reaction? Shopping, Ken, his devotion, discovering the truth? Pushing him away? Alice phoning him, his going to the hospital, response to the baby?
7. Tom, the bar, free and easy, sex, his philosophy of life? Lucy? His helping her at the bar, the encounters, attracted to her, meeting George, Lucy rejecting Tom? His finishing up alone?
8. Lucy, awkward, her computer, in the diner, being online, men chatting her up, Tom to the rescue, relying on him? The reading, the encounter with George, the dates, the Grand Canyon?
9. Josh, his type, his love for Alice, shock at the break, talking, the relationship with Michelle, his parents liking Alice, the plan for the wedding, wanting tohave one night with Alice, her rejecting him?
10. Ken, at the office, sympathetic, coming to Meg, genuine, the Christmas tree, her reactions, coming to the hospital, the baby?
11. David, personality, business, genuine, his dead wife, his daughter, the song? Enjoying Alice’s company, the harshness of the break? The end – not definite, but…?
12. A popular comedy on being single, on being at home, the nature of commitment, marriage, children?
