Man Up (2015)
This one is a total funk-buster for its heart and its humor. Man Up, the British-French film starring a wonderfully-cast Lake Bell (she dons a pretty damn believable English accent) and Simon Pegg (whom you may know from the Shaun of the Dead franchise), is a film that I have rewatched a good half-dozen times since I first watched it a few months ago. The premise is fairly simple: boy meets girl, they have a wonderful date and things end up in their favor. Except the boy in question meets the wrong girl, their date goes perfectly only until she reveals her actual identity and things get understandably messy along the way. The good news is that the film does have a heartwarming ending, like all rom-coms tend to have, that will leave you with a cheek-tingling smile. Lake Bell’s Nancy is a bit of a mess at the outset, but viewers soon realize that so is Simon Pegg’s Jack; as a whole, the film gives off a “nobody’s perfect, which makes it easier to be themselves” vibe. Man Up also astutely finds just the right mix of comedy and romance, delivering smart laughs and moments that will make you involuntarily sigh. You can’t not feel renewed with hope after watching this great and goofy film.
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