From Dan Mazer, writer of Borat (2006), I Give It A Year supposedly
lifts the veil on the realities of the first year of marriage, as ambitious
high-flyer Nat (Rose Byrne) and struggling novelist Josh (Rafe Spall) settle
into real life after a whirlwind romance results in a Hollywood-style wedding. Trouble is, when the hangovers and honeymoon are a distant memory the
absurdities and flaws they once found so endearing start irritating the hell
out of each other.
Luckily, Josh's ex-girlfriend Chloe (Anna Faris) walks back
into his life and Nat begins working for a suave America client (Simon Baker),
but will the bored couple give in to temptation? Considering whom the man
behind this often funny and tenable love story is, I Give It A Year isn’t as
unpredictable or as corrupt as it really should’ve been. There is some bad taste, but Mazer prefers to
stick to the Richard Curtis bitch-piss format us Brits have fallen for.
Spall and Byrne are charming enough, Stephen Merchant is
more hit than miss as Josh’s embarrassing mate, but Olivia Colman doesn’t
really convince as the marriage guidance counsellor in more of a mess than our leading
couple. More visual gags would’ve improved a script hindered by too much
conversation (although the bizarre threesome is ridiculously unfunny at best),
and the finale lacks anything remotely compelling despite its potential. Worth
a watch, but I’d give it a few more months and watch it on Channel Four
instead. DW
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