Man Up Synopsis: Nancy is traveling across London to toast another ten years of her parents’ magical marriage. She runs into Jack who mistakes her for his blind date. Nancy decides to go with it and starts the most chaotic journey of her life.
The Brits really know how to make romantic comedies. Man Up is a prime example. Nancy (Lake Bell) is traveling to her parents’ 40th wedding anniversary party, where she’s set to make a speech, something she has been struggling with. Along the way, she meets a woman, Jessica (Ophelia Lovibond), who feels Nancy could use some changes in her life and leaves her a self-help book called ‘Six Billion People and You’ while Nancy is sleeping.
Nancy wakes up to find the book with a chapter titled ‘Your Negative Thoughts are Ruining Your Life (And Everyone Else’s…)’ and, annoyed, sets off the train after Jessica to confront her. Losing her in the crowd, Nancy is then approached by Jack (Simon Pegg), who is carrying the same book and is under the impression that Nancy is Jessica, his blind date.
Rather than correct him, Nancy lets him believe the lie as she seems charmed by him and his quoting of Silence of the Lambs, one of her favorite movies.
The two embark on a rather eventful night that continues even after a creepy ex-classmate of Nancy’s exposes the mistaken identity. I feel like this is where Man Up really took off, with both Nancy and Jack calling each other out on their respective bullshit – Nancy is a cynic when it comes to romance, and Jack is a soon-to-be-divorced man who thinks dating a 24-year-old will somehow validate him after his wife’s affair…- while being seemingly unable, or unwilling, to part ways.
Lake Bell is a relatable heroine (um, flossing with her hair? genius!) who struggles to put herself out there and has to create a list of the things she wants to accomplish in her life (firmer thighs, for example). Simon Pegg is once again witty and charming (can he please have more leading man roles?!) while still being sympathetic. Their chemistry makes Man Up work despite some of the silliness. The movie is so fun and endearing that it’s easy to forgive the rom-com clichéd ending (hint: there’s a lot of running…).
I docked it half a star for letting creeper Sean (Rory Kinnear) and his disturbingly stalkerish behavior get off scot-free.
Watched: 09/24/2018
Notable Song: Here I Go Again by Whitesnake
