What's Your Number? (2011) starring Anna Faris, Chris Evans, Ari Graynor, Blythe Danner, Ed Begley Jr., Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Heather Burns, Eliza Coupe, Kate Simses directed by Mark Mylod Movie Review

What's Your Number? (2011)   3/53/53/53/53/5


Anna Faris in What's Your Number? (2011)

By the Number Rom-Com

Having been fired from her job Ally Darling (Anna Faris) reads a magazine which claims that women who have had 20 or more sexual partners rarely finds love and the average is just 10.5. Realising her number is 19 she sets about tracking down her previous boyfriends to see if she had made a mistake. Unfortunately for Ally she discovers finding her ex's not as easy so asks her neighbour, the womanizing Colin (Chris Evans) to help her track them down in return allowing him to hide out in her apartment to get away from his one night stands.

Maybe I am jaded from watching one too many rom-coms, although to be honest it has been a while, because watching "What's Your Number?" did very little for me. The trouble is that "What's Your Number?" is just typical of romantic comedies with far too many familiar, cliche elements thrown in. Yes there is a more grown up nature to it as it has a 15 certificate and so has humour a little more daring than the norm but strip that away and you are left with formula.

Chris Evans in What's Your Number? (2011)

For those who don't believe me here are just some of the cliches you will find in "What's Your Number?"; there is the losing of a job combined with a sister getting married along with a pushy mother, the trifecta of reasons for a young woman to suddenly feel that their life is going nowhere and so needs to re-evaluate their life. Then there is the guy whose womanizing qualities are of course meant to be off putting ends up being Mr. Right for the heroine. I could go on as we watch Ally having a series of ups and downs and some accidents as she tries to track down her previous conquests, but none of it is original.

But "What's Your Number?" has going for it is firstly more freedom when it comes to the humour with a dirtier side you don't tend to get in rom-coms. It is not that daring that it is just a sex comedy but certainly has a few more risky moments. It also has Anna Faris who on her own can do the sort of comedy which many rom-com actresses can't come close to and at least that means some of the jokes actually make you laugh rather than just smiling out of politeness.

What this all boils down to is that "What's Your Number?" is okay but that is pretty much down to the work of Anna Faris to make the comedy fun. Take Faris out of the equation and the occasional moment of risky humour and you are left with a cliche romantic comedy which you can guess the outcome of shortly after it starts.


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