2013’s I Give It A Year is a sort of anti-rom-com, about a ‘happily ever after’ that doesn’t pan out the way it is supposed to. It’s an interesting concept but in many respects it plays like an actual rom-com, and it relies so much on being fed by the hand it is ostensibly trying to bite that it ultimately falls some way short of living up to its promise.
However, it has a very likeable cast and it’s more than watchable enough for all the plot-holes and inconsistencies.
And to give it due credit, it is actually very funny in parts. Stephen Merchant, in particular, though clearly playing a character that has no business being in the narrative, given that it is inconceivable that any of the other characters would ever willingly spend time with him, let alone allow him to be best man at a wedding, is absolutely hilarious and steals the small number of scenes that he pops up in.
Score for Christmasishness
The title would suggest that the timeline of the movie covers an entire year, and this is a relatively fair assessment. But the story does linger around Christmas and about a third of the movie is set during the festive period, which leaves the distinct impression that, in spite of its February release date, I Give It A Year was always destined to be a quite Christmas(ish).
James Proclaims! 