A Review of ‘Plan B’: A passable funny alternative to regular relationships
An aspiring novelist gets knocked up by a neighbour she dislikes, causing her to hunt for the ideal father to her child.
‘Plan B’: A passable funny alternative to regular relationships
Cast: Jamie Lee, Jon Heder, Kate Flannery, Michael Lombardi, Subhah Agarwal, Vernon Davis, Daniel K. Isaac, Shannon Elizabeth, Tom Berenger, Suzanne Savoy, Danielle Perez, Drew Garrett, Rebecca Street, Abolaji Alexander, Chanel Ali, Anthony Moore, Diane Dehn, Mike Sarcinelli
Critic's Rating: 3 Stars out of 5
Director: Brandon Tamburri
Duration: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Language: English
Release: 2024
What’s it about?
An aspiring novelist gets knocked up by a neighbour she dislikes, causing her to hunt for the ideal father to her child.
Review:
Here is a lightweight new entrant to the Rom-Com genre which tries hard not to be formulaic, with some success. The charm and likeability of the handful of characters makes for a pleasant experience, but this asset is somewhat marred by hit-and-miss dialogue and a few unrealistic plot developments. Still, the alternating whimsicality and sincerity boasts some amount of appeal with its theme of familial practicality. However, those who are weary of romance might only be mildly interested, though this flick does warrant a fair amount of giggles and tugs at one’s heartstrings.
A coffee shop employee Piper Brennan (Jamie Lee) has a night of debauchery, which includes heavy drinking at a pub and a one-night stand with her quirky neighbour Evan Ebert (Jon Heder from the Napoleon Dynamite fame). The next morning, she abruptly asks Evan to leave, indicating that she has no interest in dating this Uber taxi driver who fronts a rock band (and who has some strange habits to boot). It turns out that Piper who is cynical about love and relationships, has a burgeoning following on the social media platform Instagram. On her account, she posts photos of loving couples, embellished with her own imaginative captions. This catches the eye of publishing house agent Jane Brantley (Kate Flannery) who goads Piper into writing a book.
Though delighted with the prospect, Piper soon discovers she is pregnant. Her worst fears are realised courtesy a test administered by her roommate Maya (Subhah Agarwal). The two deduce that Evan is the father. But determined that her child has a suitable and financially-successful male parent, Piper goes scouting at a nightclub. But she is disillusioned with the men on offer and turns her attention to a customer at the cafe she works at. Will Cameron (Michael Lombardi) prove to be the man of her dreams? Or will the real father come knocking at Piper’s door? And is Piper capable of resolving this strange love-triangle?
Though the situation is well set up, it succumbs to the clichéd Rom-Com cop out. There is even a blatant reference to Bridget Jones Diary (2001) and a scene slightly reminiscent of What Happens in Vegas (2008). Also, the film’s turning point seems a tad contrived. Some viewers might even construe one major move on the part of Evan as being more creepy than endearing. Regardless, the characters are fairly well-developed and Maya puts in a good performance as Piper’s sounding board - that reacts to Piper’s every move with fitting looks of consternation. Movie buffs might also be pleased to notice cameos by Tom Berenger and Shannon Elizabeth.
Director and co-writer Brandon Tamburri could have infused more humour into the main characters’ interaction with those in peripheral roles. Still, it is hard to dislike this movie as it bears a breezy and engaging quality - which is sure to catch the fancy of expectant parents. Also, those who are aspiring to start a family or who are already in one, might garner a few takeaways from this flick. For the folks who are bored with the big-budget and overblown romantic comedies on sale today, this movie might present an adequate 'Plan B'.
