Plus One focuses on long-time friends Alice and Ben, played by Maya Erskine and Jack Quaid, respectively. Both late in their 20’s and still single, they both have to endure going to a countless string of weddings of all their friends and being the only two who aren’t even dating anyone. Finding the weddings to be insufferable to bear by themselves, the two agree to be the other’s plus one to the endless amount of weddings they each have to attend, and begin to get a bit closer along the way.
From nearly the moment this movie starts, it’s easy to predict exactly where this movie will be headed. As it sets everything up, there’s almost this When Harry Met Sally vibe to the film. Alice and Ben think they can keep things strictly platonic at first, think that they’re above true love, and attend each of these weddings thinking that there’s very little that can change them at this point. Though the writing on the wall is crystal clear where their path will lead them.
Despite a standard setup, what makes Plus One an enjoyable film is the fact that it fully embraces its familiarity and decides to still have some fun with it. And that’s thanks to the chemistry of its two stars. This film relies heavily on the talents of Erskine and Quaid, and both of them do a really solid job with the material.
The first half of the film consists of the two attending an endless string of weddings and finding ways to put up with them for an entire night. They offer colorful commentary either on the setting, the couples, or just insult each other. And this is where the move is at its absolute best, just for how funny it can be. Erskine and Quaid are reminiscent of classic comedic duos, where Erskine is the over-the-top one, laying down the majority of the one-liners, while Quaid is the straight man. They have a natural flow to the way they interact, and when they can just bounce off each other, the movie forgoes sappy sentimentality and is instead refreshingly laid-back.
The major issue the film has is the lingering question of how much can it stretch this premise out over the course of ninety minutes. Well, surprisingly, it doesn’t. And this winds up being both a good thing and a bad thing. It’s commendable to see that the movie isn’t totally one-note, choosing not to just be 90 minutes of these two characters being miserable at weddings. It tries to keep things fresh and moving forward.
However, when the film moves on from its initial set up, it ends up shifting in tone and characterization that comes off as drastic and jarring, rather than feeling organic. Whereas the first forty-five minutes are really funny and easy-going, the second forty-five minutes are a bit more serious and dramatic, and the two protagonists no longer act like the characters the movie’s been following in its first forty-five minutes.
At this point, it feels like conflict is being created for the sake of conflict. The arguments become petty. There are plot points brought up out of nowhere that also don’t really end up going anywhere. And a lot of the forced sentimentality that wasn’t seen in the first half suddenly rears its ugly head here. While Erskine and Quaid both still do a fine job with the more serious material, the movie quickly fizzles out after its promising first half, and while it’s not flat out unenjoyable, it’s still disappointing as it just doesn’t feel like the same movie.
Plus One was on its way to becoming one of the better comedies of the year, though ultimately winds up being an inconsistent effort. While it makes a noble attempt at not stretching out its one-note premise for 90 minutes, it winds up feeling like a totally new movie, with the characterization suddenly changing for the worse, and conflict is created just to keep the movie going, rather than feeling natural. It ultimately ends up being what it set out not to be. While it may not be something that will be constantly worth revisiting, a strong first half and some really great chemistry between Maya Erskine and Jack Quaid will make this enjoyable enough to check out, even if only once.
Recommendation: Proceed With Caution
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