110 minutes, Comedy, M

Do not be mislead by the working title here. This film is not a step-by-step reference for how you should live a single life, nor is it a guide for those seeking a way out of a current and unfulfilling relationship. This is a film about having fun being single, in your own way, while it lasts. Alice (Dakota Johnson) is the woman who doesn’t quite know who she is and needs a break from her four year relationship. Older sister Meg (Leslie Mann) is a midwife trying to talk herself out of the need to finally have one of her own delivered. Alice’s best friend, Robin (Rebel Wilson), a party girl who doesn’t give a damn about much else other than getting laid that night. Then there’s Tom (Anders Holm) a bartender who goes to extreme lengths to keep his one night stands, one night only and frequent visitor Lucy (Alison Brie) who’s having trouble keeping a man for beyond one date.

If you’re a female aged anywhere from 15 to about 40, and are quite content to have an easy laugh watching stereotypes acting as gross exaggerations of themselves, then you’ll be more than happy hooking up a date night with the newest comedy HOW TO BE SINGLE. But ladies, assuming you have attended enough of these types of movies, then you know they have a serious side. Nothing too heavy, but enough for this rather indecisive chick-flick to put a lengthy hold on generating much laughter for most of the second half. To be honest, this shift in temperament is HOW TO BE SINGLE’s saving grace, for the first half really is quite poor. Trite dialogue, bad comic timing and execution, and a bizarrely out of form, uncomfortable looking performance from Rebel Wilson often result in this comedy’s attempt to evoke laughter, fall horribly flat. Fortunately, as Alice, Lucy and Meg are asked to take some of the load off Robin’s heavily burdened shoulders, a gradual improvement becomes ostensible.

2.5 out of 5

HOW TO BE SINGLE – Film Trailer

Footnote to Parents
Contains crude sexual content (no actual sex scenes or nudity though) and coarse language including sexual innuendo. Recommended for over 15 years of age.

Moviedoc wishes to thank Harriet & Jesse from Roadshow Films, Roadshow Films and The Backlot Studios for the invitation to the Media Screening of HOW TO BE SINGLE.

Review by Moviedoc
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