Man Up

A great British rom-com with a likeable Lake Bell and a great Simon Pegg. Quite an original take on the theme of blind dates, and it’s really entertaining to see where it ends up. The funny element is handled by Rory Kinnear as the passionate admirer and the scene at the bowling alley is a downright comedic highlight. Even a tear dropped at the end. Bravo, this was good. 80%. (21/02/2019)

A fresh and inspiring story with a resounding message that love is impossible to plan and run away from. With the exception of the opening and rather shaky ten minutes, it flows very smoothly, there’s plenty of originality and both protagonists give above-standard performances within the genre. It’s a great pity, however, that the aura of a thoughtful auteur film is disrupted by the unnecessarily loud sexual humour and, most importantly, by a sloppy but definitely impersonal and disgustingly conventional happy ending, which, despite its enormous positive charge, has no chance of reaching anyone emotionally. But satisfaction nonetheless. 70% (12/12/2015)

I never thought I'd ever see a romantic comedy starring the not-so-sexy Simon Pegg and, against all odds, I loved it. There's also a wonderful spark between him and the wacky Lake Bell. Then when Rory Kinnear crosses their path, the fun takes off. (75%) (11/11/2022)