August 14th, 2013 
Justin Proper 
Movie: I Give It A Year
Director: Dan Mazer
Writer: Dan Mazer
Studio: StudioCanal, Anton Capital Entertainment (ACE), Starcrossed Films
Romantic comedies are a dime a dozen. They usually all follow the same formula with minor changes. Most deal with falling in love, but what about what happens after that? Once all the excitement and endorphins of a new relationship wear off maybe this person you fell in love with is not as compatible as you thought when you rushed into marriage. I Give It A Year tells that story, and it is mostly delightful.
Nat and Josh are recently married but it is apparent that their friends and families do not believe they will last. With their one year anniversary approaching a couple complications are thrown into the mix. Nat meets a new guy at work that is handsome and charming while Josh begins to reconnect with an old flame. The couple soon begin to realize that the day to day behaviors of their partner get on their nerves and maybe they are not as great a match as they initially thought.
I Give It A Year is a very clever romantic comedy. There are some laugh out loud moments, but most of the humor is subtle and dry. Dan Mazer (best known for co-writing Sacha Baron Cohen movies like Borat) really proves he is more than just adult shock gags (although there are one or two of these in the film) with his directorial debut. There are a few weird transitions but it is not enough to take you out of the film.
This film did suffer from the usual pitfalls of the rom-com genre. The plot may be a bit different, but it is fairly easy to see where it is going early on. Some scenes seemed to be added just for a laugh, not really advancing the plot in any way. Most of the cast did well but Anna Faris seemed to just be there to collect a paycheck and move on with her life. It is very accurate to say that this film is easily forgettable as it certainly wont be one you want to watch over and over again. Once or twice is enough.
Sometimes you find yourself in the mood for a romantic comedy. Sometimes you do not have a choice in the matter because you made your significant other sit through that new action movie last week. Either way there are definitely worse choices out there than I Give It A Year. With this film you will get some good laughs and a decent story, but it is not anything you are still going to be raving about in a week.
Score: C+
Review written by: Justin Proper
- UTG’s 31 Days Of Halloween: ‘Nymphomaniac’ - October 6, 2014
- MOVIE REVIEW: ‘Noah’ - March 28, 2014
- MOVIE REVIEW: ‘Nymphomaniac’ - March 25, 2014
Posted in 
Tags: 