How to Be Single

How to Be Single details the exploits of several New York City-based single ladies and their ongoing efforts to find happiness in both their professional and personal lives, with a particular emphasis on the comings and goings of Dakota Johnson’s Alice, Rebel Wilson’s Robin, Leslie Mann’s Meg, and Alison Brie’s Lucy. Filmmaker Christian Ditter has infused How to Be Single with a bright, vibrant, and thoroughly fast-paced feel that proves effective at instantly capturing one’s interest, with the early part of the proceedings faring especially well due mostly to the often laugh-out-loud screenplay and plethora of affable performances. (In addition to the aforementioned stars, the picture also boasts appearances by charismatic figures as Jake Lacy, Damon Wayans Jr, Jason Mantzoukas, and Anders Holm.) It’s clear, then, that the script’s sitcom-level approach to the subject matter fares much better than one might’ve anticipated, although there’s no denying that, at a ludicrously overlong running time of 110 minutes, How to Be Single does peter out to an increasingly palpable degree as it progresses – with, especially, the movie’s final third relying far too heavily on hackneyed sequences that are either egregiously padded-out or completely needless (eg a character frantically races to the hospital). The film does, at least, recover for a sweet and satisfying final stretch that ensures one leaves the proceedings on a decidedly positive note, and it’s ultimately clear that How to Be Single stands as a fairly run-of-the-mill romantic comedy that’s elevated by an appreciatively energetic approach.

**1/2 out of ****