Set It Up

.... there were definitely some places where it could've been funnier, but overall I enjoyed it. It was super distracting at the end when all the passerby's were staring, obviously meaning they couldn't afford to block side walks and hire extras. The Positive: I found myself smiling long after scenes had ended. Definitely a feel good movie.

This film is about two stressed out assistants to, two powerful people. Who attempt to get their bosses together in the hope that once they find love, their jobs will become a whole lot easier and their bosses become a whole lot nicer.

This film is directed by Claire Scanlon (The last man on earth). It stars Zoey Deutch (Before I fall), Glen Powell (Hidden figures) and Lucy Liu (Kill Bill: Volume 1).

This film is dumb, but entertaining. It toes the line between so bad its good and just a enjoyable film. What makes the film not so bad its good for me is the performances. The cast has perfect chemistry and their are some stand performances like Lucy Liu as Zoey Deutchs mean boss, and Tituss Burgess (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) as Creepy Tim, who delivers the films best jokes. This film did not have me checking my watch to see when it would end.

However, the films story follows the typical Romcom clichés, couple that with down right stupid story, that is so unrealistic it is probably the best joke in the entire film.

If you like Romcoms this is for you, but if your looking for a netflix film with substance go and watch Cargo.

6/10

Initial Thoughts: Though a couple of years old, it was refreshing to watch a rom-com that was clean, and yet not so clean, that it was mushy and inane. All the actors brought about their own personalities that worked in unison with each others. Nothing about this film was weird or awkward, and although the ending was predictable, this was a fun story to watch.

Pros: The biggest positive that I have on the movie is the actual filming. You can tell all the way through that they didn't close streets and sidewalks off. Although distracting at times it was fun to have normal fluidity within the frame. Though some say otherwise the story was well written in my opinion. Through all the ways of trying to make the bosses fall in love to finding personal inner strength to overcome obstacles in their own lives this film definitely has an enjoyable story.

Cons: Chemistry amongst actors wasn't consistently strong throughout, and when the smaller parts of the story started to slide or wonder, so did my attention span. When my attention span started to go. I started to notice the background even more. Yes, I said I enjoyed the fluidity of the scenes because it wasn't scripted people walking by, but if you're like me and you try to catch something sneaky, or notice inconsistencies throughout the film, you'll definitely be distracted in this one, as the film crews never shutdown any parts of New York. Because they never closed down sections for filming you constantly have people standing around and watching what's happening.

Overall: Alas, a non-sappy rom-com that is good for any date night. Again, it was nice to see a clean romantic comedy that wasn't full of constant one night stands, or just about partying. There is some of language throughout, but in my opinion, not enough to ruin the entire movie.

Enjoy the show!

Zoey Deutch and Glen Powell reunite after the excellent Everybody Wants Some (2016) in this low frills, high-chemistry rom-com. There isn't much to dwell on here, as 'Set It Up' proves the ideal low-stakes Friday night Netflix watch.

Deutch and Powell play Harper and Charlie, two young and ambitious characters working for a very special brand of pushy, domineering bosses. When they realize their common predicament, they set out to...set up their bosses, in the hope that it will lead to quality of life improvements for themselves. In an ironic twist, the ones being pushed around leverage their insights into personal scheduling and personal preferences to ensure the mis-match ends up matching. As is usual for mischievous do-gooders, there will be fraternizing and moral conundruming. And it will be fun.

Any successful rom-com hinges on the compatibility of its leads. Luckily, that's not an issue here, with both potential couples gelling or not gelling just as intended. It's the energy of all four key characters that keeps the movie alive, thanks to the odd piece of witty writing or amusing situation. I think I only rolled my eyes once at some ultra-corny moment that could have been avoided, but beyond that, director Claire Scanlon works gently and fairly with her characters. Everybody learns an important life lesson by the end and, surprisingly, it's a lesson I relate to, although I've never had the issue of overworking myself in order to avoid pursuing my passions. There are other, more pleasureful ways of doing it.

I had seen the movie's trailer beforehand but didn't have high expectations from this one. I am happy to report I was wrong. The movie is funny, witty and thoroughly engrossing. I wasn't bored for a minute, thanks to the snappy dialogue and crisp editing and direction. I must admit I only decided to watch it cuz' of the big names like Luc Liu & Tae Diggs, and though both of them played their characters of A**hole bosses convincingly, but it's the primary couple of Zoey Deutch & Glen Powell that makes you fall in love with them. Even the supporting actors cast in bit roles like the coffee shop waiter, the elevator guy and the gay best friend played their roles perfectly. I found my self constantly laughing out loud. All in all, it was a very enjoyable film that all rom-com lovers will enjoy.