She’s a romantically challenged thirty-something; he’s a forty-something soon-to-be divorcé. They cross paths in unlikely and unnecessarily complicated circumstances, sparks fly, but an extra series of impediments conspires to get in love’s way. Yes, Man Up dives deep into the rom-com bag of over-used staples; however its recognisable amalgam of well-worn elements can’t completely thwart its modest fortunes. Leading lady Lake Bell is responsible for the bulk of the film’s success, her infectious charm enlivening a typical yet never thoroughly trying addition to the genre.
Bell (TV series Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp) plays Nancy opposite Simon Pegg’s (Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation) Jack, with the characters meeting on a blind date. The catch: Nancy isn’t Jack’s intended paramour, but when she’s mistaken for the girl, Jessica (Ophelia Lovibond, Guardians of the Galaxy), he’s supposed to meet, she plays along. Over the course of a single evening, he tries to impress her and she attempts to keep up the act, while his ex-wife (Olivia Williams, Seventh Son) and her overly affectionate high school classmate (Rory Kinnear, Penny Dreadful) get immersed in their mess. That Nancy is actually supposed be at her parents’ (The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies‘ Ken Stott and Suite Française‘s Harriet Walter) wedding anniversary celebration causes a further spate of issues.
Director Ben Palmer previously helmed the TV-to-film adaptation of The Inbetweeners, which gives an indication of the brightly shot, antic-laden effort in store in Man Up, as well as potentially explains why he approaches his latest offering as a fast-paced dash through many an episodic escapade and London tourist spot. In spirit and in storyline, scribe Tess Morris (credited with additional writing on The Love Punch) happily plays along, with her script broaching territory both too sweet and too silly as the movie glides by; if it seems like there’s nary a rom-com or wild night scenario that the two have avoided, that’s because little has escaped their embrace.
There’s also a glimmer of authenticity in Man Up, however, that helps ground the surrounding absurdity and cliché. Morris has sketched out a relatable world of dating awkwardness and anxiety that helps justify much of Nancy and Jack’s choices, behaviour and pithy banter, though the supporting characters aren’t given the same gift. The decision to unmask Nancy’s subterfuge earlier than might be expected further assists in fleshing out the central duo, albeit while simultaneously heightening the chaos otherwise. Of course, in imparting slivers of depth into broadly drawn figures and circumstances constantly and conveniently mined for laughs, the lead actors are key — Bell most notably.
Indeed, though Pegg attracts almost half of the feature’s attention, he always comes second to Bell’s winning, witty way with the material. As does the film; benefiting from the manner in which she segues from inelegant to endearing with ease and plays with the typical lonely single lady mould, it brightens in her presence and dims when it diverts focus. The accent work she toyed with so convincingly in her last starring effort, In A World…, also serves her well in adopting a British brogue, as does her similarly previously demonstrated knack for physical comedy. When Man Up shines intermittently despite its clear contentment with serving up the usual rom-com fare, it is largely Bell’s doing, illuminating a predictable but palatable date-oriented movie.
Rating: 2.5 stars out of 5
Man Up
Director: Ben Palmer
UK/France, 2015, 88 mins
Release date: 5 November
Distributor: StudioCanal
Rated: M
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