(S)ex List

I saw the promos for this pic when I saw "Crazy Stupid Love" and "Our Idiot Brother". It seemed kind of funny, so I took a chance on it tonight.

I'm not a big fan of the bubbly blonde genre, nor do I frown upon it, but the film seemed to have lots of sexual references, almost too many for a character like Anna Faris's "Ally Darling". In this regard the film is a bit of a disappointment as it dove immediately to uninhibited descriptors of sex, as opposed to building up to those moments where Anna's character has to blurt out the obvious. But hey, it's a chick flick rom-com, so you can't really fault it too much, because it does mean well.

I can't say I laughed too much at this film, but laugh I did, and I truly wanted to laugh more, but the humor bounced from raunch to intellectual, with some shades of gray in-between. So it was that I found myself hard pressed to absorb and laugh at all of the sexually oriented humor, but nor was I a prude in that department, as I could very much appreciate some of the finer points of sex-gags.

Some of the alleged romantic moments seemed way over the top. So much that one wonders why they were put in there to begin with. And casting Colin Shea as the hunky yet uninteresting neighbor who might be a sleaze, seemed a bit of a stretch. Particularly when Ally's past suitors physiques pail in comparison to her sleuth-neighbor.

The other stretch is the notion that perky cute blonde living on her own in Boston would have a hard time finding mister right. But, it's a movie, so we take the premise for what it is, and either go with it, or shrug and begrudgingly accept what is put forth.

Technical marks all hit their cues. There're some interesting shots here and there, and one wonders how they got some of those. Otherwise this film isn't about great cinematography nor sound, just about a quirky little girl in a highly explicit verbal-sex film. Now, having said that, I think the delivery and editing of some of the lines (not to mention some of the lines themselves) could have been better executed, for the film does feel a bit flat in act I, and doesn't really pick up until a third of the way into act II.

Still, it is what it is. Not a film I'd go see again, something I might rent in the future just to see what went into making this film.

Give it a chance.

What's Your Number simply is better than most rom-coms. It's a lot of fun, and puts some sizzle into the shizzle by giving it a little bit more sexyback than most. It's saved by two cute lead performances, a solid script, and a nod to the world that life ain't the 1950s anymore.

We really enjoyed this - it has a lot of heart, some genuine laughs, nothing too crude, it's sassy, even sexy, without being anything dangerous, and it's main plot device - what if you could go back and meet all your Exes - is one that has to ring true with a wide swathe of people.

All in all, if you like rom-coms then this is going to be exactly what you like; it makes you feel romantic, like true love is possible, and does so without being either prissy or crude; and it scores points for pointing out what really matters in life.... all in all a fun outing that both the heart and the mind can enjoy.

WHAT'S YOU NUMBER? is a flimsy bit of fluff based on the novel '20 Times A Lady' by Karen Bosnak and transformed for the screen by Gabrielle Allan and Jennifer Crittenden. It is a very light comedy that has some observations about today's dating/quasi-relationship scene, but those impressions are a bit too true to be funny, so it is best to just concentrate on the film as a diversion of the kick back, put feet up, and giggle along with it genre.

Ally Darling (!) (Anna Faris) has a history of having many ex-boy connections who turned out to be losers. Reading an article that offers number amounts for judging sexual encounters (Ally has exceeded the norm) she freaks and believes that she can't find THE good guy. Deciding to reevaluate her ex-encounters searching for Mr Right, she decides to look up all of her exs to see if any of them have changed for the better. Finding this task daunting she turns to her apartment neighbor Colin Shea (Chris Evans), a would-be musician who sleeps with women every night and sneaks out the morning after to avoid relating to them, to act as her detective. The rest is a contrived series of ups and downs of the manhunt that has few qualified candidates. And the end is predictable.

For once Anna Faris has snagged a role that shows her talent (and fingernails-on-the- blackboard voice) and she looks terrific. But the biggest treat in the film is Chris Evans appearing in the buff often enough to keep the movie on: not only does he enjoy his Adonis body but he seems happy allowing it to buff up an otherwise routine comedy part. There is another attraction in the wings - Oliver Jackson-Cohen - who seems to have a future in film. Tuck in the always reliable Blythe Danner and Ed Begley, Jr and this is a cast worth an evening's outing. But the treat on top of the confection is the eye candy generously shared by Chris Evans.

Grady Harp

Do you looooooove Rom-Coms? Do you looooooove Anna Faris? If the answer is yes to either, then you can add at least another star or two to this rating.

For me, rom-coms are just too damn predictable and therefore never going to get above a six rating (unless you're talking unconventional genre spasms like 500 Days of Summer).

However taking into account I don't like rom-coms, this is the highest rating one of these films will get from me. Anna Faris is extremely likable as ever and Chris Evans is very funny and probably a perfect specimen of man in the eyes of many an audience member.

Watch the trailer and you'll know how it ends but the journey provides the kind of rude laughs and romantic moments in iconic locations that are becoming ever more familiar in the modern rom-com.

Like the recent Friends With Benefits (not bad) and the hilarious Bridesmaids, What's Your Number? is ruder and funnier than many older rom-coms with hand-job jokes, potty-mouthed dialogue and a female character who is liberated, crude and played by a star who is definitely not too shy or vain to embarrass herself.

As Faris' character searches for the perfect man among her twenty ex-lovers, cameos from Martin Freeman and Andy Samberg maintain interest but it's Faris and Evans that provide the real laughs and chemistry.

Nothing new if you're not a rom-com fan but ticks all the boxes for the target audience and keeps the genre headed in a dirtier direction.

I know I shouldn't have liked or enjoyed it. Especially because I'm not really a big fan of Anna Faris (as an actress that is). But you can't fault her in this one. She really gets the most of many scenes (as stupid as they seem and feel like). And while this isn't really something that should be accounted for (as a positive), it really is nice, that it does not pull any punches (talking about the R-rating, although there is a longer cut to be released later on).

Of course you know where this is heading and while the ending again might fall short of all the swagger that has come up to that point it still feels like a nice comedy. Or should I say "raunchy" instead of nice? But both words fit the bill here. Both lead actors are obviously having fun and it translates and really transcends to the viewer. Not comedy gold, but entertaining enough