Man Up (2015)

How sad is this?

Beautiful, moving film.

I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

All that we are seeing on the screen is happening with real people, real action sequences in the background, forcing the eye to watch as if we were there.

It is WONDERFUL. I think we will watch this every Christmas, it's better than Love Actually.

Absolutely Brilliant. I laughed. I cried. I WILL watch this again.

The Three Acts: The initial tableaux: Single 34 year old Nancy goes to a loud themed mixer hosted by a hotel at the insistence of her married sister Elaine. It's another failure. Nancy heads via train to an anniversary party at the house of their parents, Fran and Bert. Nancy sits down and talks to Elaine. Across from her is Jessica, who had listened to her telephone conversation with Elaine. Jessica lends Nancy a self-help book meant to help her meet her true match. The train stops; Jessica gets off without taking the book. When Nancy wakes up, she tries to find Jessica to return the book, but meets Jack instead. (Jessica buys another copy; she had left her old copy on purpose, but Nancy does not know that.)Jack thinks Nancy is his blind date since she has the book. Jack has a pleasant manner, and does a Hannibal Lecter impression. Partly because Lecter is one of Nancy's favourite movie characters, she decides to let Jack keep thinking she's his date. Jessica shows up with her new copy of the book a good 90 seconds too late.Delineation of conflicts: First, there is the lie that started their relationship. Jack and Nancy head into an evening together under false impressions. Nancy has several opportunities in their conversation to correct the misapprehension, but fails to do so.During the date, they encounter some baggage from each side. There is Jack's ex, or soon to be ex, Hilary, whom they meet with Hilary's new significant other. Then there is Sean, whom Nancy has known for many years but does not remember. Unfortunately for Nancy, Sean's a bit of a stalker.Jack is a bit battle weary from the recently failed marriage. Nancy is in a negativity phase since she has had so many disappointments in a row.Then there is the party with Fran and Bert. Elaine and Fran want Nancy to write something to commemorate the 40 years of wedded bliss. When might that happen during this busy day?Resolution: Chemistry.

I'm not a rom-com lover by any stretch of the imagination whatsoever. But browsing through prime, I saw Simon Pegg and Lake Bell appear on a cover. So decided to give it a go as Pegg, is usually quite amusing in most things... So I took the decision, 90 minutes I'll never get back or 90 minutes that made me smile - Most definitely the latter. From the beginning I had a feeling it would be not too dissimilar to 500 Days Of Summer, just happier. I couldn't have been more wrong. Smiling and glued to the screen from the get go as everyone can relate to each of the characters in some way. It's exactly as you would expect a rom-com, BBC funded film to be; witty, charming, short, very British, cringeworthy, typically British, with an excellent soundtrack from the beginning - music perfectly fitting everywhere. Some other very good up-and-coming British actors making short appearances here and there, following on from TV performances etc. Definitely made me smile like a fool in love for the last 15 minutes. Will be my future pep talk film as to why I'm so unlucky in love.