We’re in a rom-com revival, as movies like “Love, Simon” and “Crazy Rich Asians” have zhuzhed up the genre, revealing its diverse and lucrative potential. Netflix has eagerly jumped on board with titles like “To All the Boys I Loved Before,” “Ibiza,” “Nappily Ever After,” and “Someone Great.” Now, a festival entrant: “Plus One,” the Ben Stiller-backed first feature from co-directors Jeff Chand and Andrew Rhymer, recently premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival.
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“Plus One” follows Ben (Jack Quad), a wayward, perma-single millennial slogging his way through wedding season. When his recently dumped college friend Alice (Maya Erskine, MVP) proposes they team up as plus-ones for the rest of the summer, romance and hijinks ensue. Ben gets a crash course in commitment issues, thanks in part to his thrice-married father (a riotous Ed Begley Jr).
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“Plus One” is notable in a couple of ways. Alice is equal parts gross, silly, and adorable, far from the slightly clumsy sexpots of romcoms past. She is also an Asian woman, something that barely matters in the world of the film (in a good way, I think). However, aside from these representational strides, the film is…fine. Passable. A well-made, chuckle-worthy jaunt as opposed to a rollicking, revolutionary funfest. This is perhaps in part because, deceptive advertising aside, Ben is the film’s main character. As he is the (literal) straight man to Alice’s screwball, our perspective of her is filtered through his skeptical lens. This is a missed opportunity, as Maya Erskine is far and away the most comically adept performer in the film.
“Plus One” also loses control of its own gimmick — tracking a relationship over the course of ten weddings — as the ceremonies blur past. It’s easy to lose count of weddings by the end of the film, thus rendering these scripted benchmarks meaningless. And that’s not even the most confounding aspect of the film: It’s also difficult to believe that Ben, a chronically unpartnered man, would have earned a plus-one at six different weddings. Plus, there is just one — uno, eins, un — gay wedding among the ten California ceremonies.
This film is watchable and sweet, with some show-stealing performances from its motley crew of wedding-goers. Despite its flaws, it goes down easy and guiltlessly, like cheap champagne. But in this world of rom-com overhaul, is a just-fine addition worth a hearty toast? Much like Alice receiving yet another save the date, I am sorely tempted to respond, “No.” [C]
Follow along with all our coverage from the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival here.