Whether we like it or not, when we hit play on a rom-com, we expect a laugh or two as well as to feel a tad bit more optimistic and hopeful about the prospects of romance. This is usually achieved through the lens of the woman, who is of course, a stereotypically good-looking with a decent job but a little lost in the dating world.
What if a rom-com tried to adjust this narrative a little? Better Off Single, streaming on Netflix aims to do just that as Aaron Tveit plays Charlie, a guy who meets Angela (Abby Elliot) the hot chick on a plane and never touches the floor before he reaches for his phone to tell his best friend Vince (Shane McRae) that he has found the one. What? Seriously?
This isn’t the first time a rom-com revolves around a man and his life.
However, it falls victim to some of the mistakes earlier versions have made by making the lead character painfully sensitive and nearly unrealistically lovesick (Josh Radnor from How I Met Your Mother, Jason Segal in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Joseph Gordon-Levitt in 500 Days of Summer) but, fortunately, removed the entirely oblivious persona (Steve Carrell in The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Ben Stiller in There’s Something About Mary). Rather, Better Off Single has decided to cast a lead who is absolutely stunning and charming and will have to suffer from a brain injury in order to not overcome a set of hurdles throughout the movie which include getting over a breakup (we kinda sympathize their), getting through a speed dating session (come on, man), getting a suitable one night stand (seriously?), and fine, we will say he can’t seem to find “the one” because that is somewhat difficult, especially in New York City.
But do we truly feel sorry for a well-built, perfect blonde looking model struggling to find his soulmate? The reasoning seems far-fetched. Of course, it’s a movie, and there is no way they will cast an ugly person like James Judd Apatow, who has run out of casting out-of-shape leads. Let me be clear, I don’t mind the opportunity to be mesmerized by Tveit for 85 minutes.
I am aware that it is quite facile to relate to Cameron Diaz Julia Roberts or Katherine Heigl. However, we do see ourselves in those women and their struggles. It’s much easier to blame New York City, and all the d-bags that live there, for their lack of a happily ever after. What we, and Tveit’s Charlie, have is a handsome fellow who would easily turn heads at any bar he walks.
Now, the perspective this film does supply us with is that of a total modern dude. From the universally accepted practice of pissing on a conference room table to the overtly silly, rude, and inane humor that permeates this movie, it is not as polite as a typical rom-com with a female lead. Better Off Single loses points for including a scene where it seems like women are always screeching about being anti-sports and anti-blow jobs, but gains them back with the scene in which fairy dust, in the form of glowing particles, miraculous comes out of a woman’s private part, which, let’s be honest, is quite funny. This is what gave our hot hero the confidence he so desperately needed in the dating department.
As expected from a rom-com, the legally mandated montage of Charlie rehearsing his best button-downs and pickup lines in the mirror is heartwarmingly fulfilling.
Better Off Single attempts to show that being somewhat of a good dude who is looking for a romantic match will still have its challenges. This film has attributed quotes to Oprah more than any other dude’s conversations. However, just like most films, it would have been funnier had it gone full “bro” instead of just giving women what they think they want to see with an added punch for the boyfriends forced to watch Lawrence Miller Rogen supplies some of the narration so, there’s Abby Elliot proving she’s likable even as an unlikable character. But it’s Kal Penn’s Brice that bros out so hard, both Harold and Kumar would be blushing at his “crush ass” declarations. It was almost there, but it makes me wish these stories didn’t have to balance out so much with what women want. What if the writers didn’t think about how to appeal to the ladies and went all out with brutal honesty with what men think, say, and do when they’re good-looking, single, and living in the city?
This movie will give you just as many eye rolls as it will LOLs and an undeniable infatuation with Tveit, but it might also be the sprinkle of fairy dust confidence that you need to conquer the dating scene while reminding you that you are the swoon-worthy protagonist in the rom-com of your life. After all, gorgeous people have feelings too.
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