Romantic Comedies usually end with the “happily ever after”, at the moment when the boy, overcoming the obstacle, gets the girls and either proposes, marries her, they die together, etc, but not many start with the whirlwind romance and the wedding and watch it all go downhill from there. Then again, the British haven’t always done things in the usual way (ie killing the entire cast in a bus crash at the end of the second season). Written and directed by Dan Mazer (known for his work with Sacha Baron Cohen on such films as Borat and Bruno), I Give It A Year shows you life after marriage for young impulsive couple Nat (Aussie Rose Byrne famous for being the “perfect” bridesmaid in Bridesmaids) and Josh (Rafe Spall).
After only a few months of marriage the cracks are already starting to show and the attractive, intelligent couple seek the guidance of an ill-suited marriage counselor. It becomes achingly clear, as the two go over their first few months of married life that they are incompatible; enter their love rivals.
At work Nat meets the gorgeous and charming Guy (another of our successful expats Simon Baker), a prospective business partner from America who her work mates encourage her to flirt with in order to get his business. While Nat is at work falling head over heels for the much better suited Guy, Josh is at home with writers block getting reacquainted with old flame and good friend Chloe (Anna Fairs, who looks and sounds completely normal in this role, opposed to her usual breathy voice and dumb blonde persona).
From then on it’s just a matter of stalling until the inevitable conclusion that Rom-Com’s always deliver. Stephen Merchant offers some awkwardly hilarious moments as the inappropriate best friend, Minnie Driver and Jason Flaming as the sister and brother-in-law from hell, undermining the relationship from the beginning and showing a scaring glimpse into the future of a loveless marriage that survives only through enduring hatred for one another and the depressing notion that marriage is all about putting up with each others crap for the rest of your lives and sticking it out. This film doesn’t present the greatest hope for love in a world of settling for good enough, but is at least not judgmental about moving on if the fit isn’t right. All in all, a good and at times very funny rom-com, if that’s what you’re into.
I Give it a Year is in Australian cinemas from 28 February through Hopscotch Films.
