God, some movies just have really shit titles, don’t they? ‘Man Up’? Come on. Terrible. But, put that to one side for just a sec.
Man Up is a British rom-com style movie that feels a little bit like a Richard Curtis side project. It never got the attention that Curtis’ movies always get, but it could be something he left on the cutting room floor once upon a time. In brief, the film tells the story of two middle-aged people who end up on a blind date together. The thing is, while Simon Pegg‘s Jack set up a blind date intentionally, Lake Bell‘s Nancy knows that she’s not the woman who he’s supposed to have met up with. In a moment of madness, Nancy decides to pretend he’s got the right woman, and mischievous events unfold.
I mentioned before that Man Up is basically a discarded Richard Curtis movie, and that’s true. Quite boldly, I’d also state that it’s possibly the most British comedy that could ever exist. I’d assume some of the jokes fall on deaf ears if you’re not British or live in Britain, but to me there was so much A+ comedy in this movie. Whilst the romance is there too, it’s the comedic timing of Bell and Pegg that really stand out and make the movie worth a viewing. On top of that, any film starring Sharon Horgan is bound to be hilarious. There is no exception to the rule here, even if she herself gets very little screen time.
Built on a pretty basic narrative that isn’t exactly mind blowing, it’s still really entertaining for the most part, even if the scenario it revolves around is your basic rom-com fodder. There are parts in the latter half that drag a little, and the pacing could have been sharper, however there’s not enough of an issue there for the viewer to be bored. Also, did I mention that a lot of the script is truly funny?
Strangely, I’d never actually heard of this film until it popped up on Amazon Prime Video at the time of watching. It’s a shame really that it never got the attention it deserves, as it’s definitely as good as any other rom-com reviewed here in 2020 if you ask me.
Brilliant cast, funny script, physical comedy that hits the nail on the head… What more could you need? Again, technically not the best movie you’ll ever see, but it does what it’s set out to do, and that’s to provide a couple of hours of pure enjoyment.
Man Up is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video in the UK.
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