Man Up,
a UK production, is a bit like a British sitcom, in which a youngish single
woman half-heartedly looking for her man is mistaken for a man’s blind date at
a match-up meeting place, and she impulsively—as is her pattern—goes along with
it by taking on the identity of the missing woman whom she had met briefly on
the train. Nancy (Bell) has a
sister who is bombarding her with pop psychology aphorisms to encourage the
socially awkward Nancy out into the marketplace, which may partly account for
her decision to go along with the mistake.
Nancy has a quirky personality, coming up with
humorous pronouncements that tend to be off-putting, and causing the listener
to disappear. She’s also a bit slapstick
and clumsy in getting from one place to another. Nancy been burned in romance, so is feeling cynical about
commitment. Jack (Simon Pegg), her
“date” is just as quirky as she is and doesn’t pick up cues that he has met up with
the wrong woman. They end up
having a screwball good time fueled by alcohol, though, until she bumps into an
old boyfriend, Sean (Rory Kinnear), whose torch still burns for her. When he discovers what she has done, he
threatens to out her unless she does him some favors.
As an added complication to the plot, Nancy is
supposed give the key toast at her parents’ 40th wedding
anniversary, but typical of her, this gets put on the back burner, making it
questionable whether she will let her family down or not.
If one goes for the humor in British comedies, Man Up will be great fun. It’s a little slapstick, touches on
common anxieties of contemporary singles, is chockfull of incongruities, and
keeps the viewer invested in the outcome.
Bell, a very talented actress, carries the lead
well, although overacting—which may be at the writer’s (Tess Morris) and
director’s (Ben Palmer) behest—detracts from a solid performance. She has adopted a British accent, which
is largely successful. The opening
scenes with goofy Bell making faces with a lipstick prop can be hilarious, or
over-done, depending on the viewer’s preference. Pegg bring his considerable comedic skills to bear, and he
and Bell sync perfectly when they’re cutting up during the first part of their
date. Likewise, at the resolution
of the fiasco, they pull it off beautifully. Supporting actors (Olivia Williams, Ophelia Lovibond, Henry
Lloyd-Hughes, and Rory Kinnear) add depth and interest to the main plot.
For a tasty bite of British humor, this
romcom is likely to satisfy.
Grade: C+ By
Donna R. Copeland
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