Overall Grade: (B)
Stephen Merchant shines in the lead role of this rom-com that managed to stay focused on the comedy throughout.
Synopsis
When Stuart finds out his ex-girlfriend and her husband are planning to visit him, he tries to show off his glitzy Los Angeles lifestyle by having a Russian model he made-out with on a boat party pretend to be his girlfriend.
My Thoughts
Created, written, directed, and starring Stephen Merchant this comedy based on his HBO series was a pleasant surprise. Merchant shined in the lead and delivered a quirky, awkward and down right hilarious character as he ventures through his life in Los Angeles in search of love.
The plot of the film is simple and easily connectable, the cast surrounding Merchant were are fun in their roles rounding out a cast you can like. Sure you can see the result of the film long before it concludes but the various forms of comedic deliveries keeps the scenes fresh and the pace fluid. The tone is certainly a romantic-comedy but despite a small collection of semi-emotional moments, the bulk of the film stuck with the comedic aspect to tell its story.
The dialogue and crazy situations this film delivers are out right hilarious and a couple of scenes had me laughing out loud. The comedy does not always come strictly from the dialogue, many times Merchants mannerisms alone will have you laughing before the punch-line is delivered. Christine Woods was also great in the female lead, she and Merchant shared some great chemistry and you can believe them as being comfortable roommates. Something that also adds to some hilarious scenes throughout.
While the sript may have been on the recycled side, it was still a feel-good story that draws your interest. Where many other rom-com’s over-do the romantic angle, and come across as cheesy or forced, this one was able to provide the same end without doing so. The run-time was short and thus had no lull in the pace and didn’t waste time. Also as ridiculous as the Los Angeles lifestyle was portrayed in this, coming from someone who frequents the city and lives in the area can confirm it was more realistic than you would think, which only made it more hilarious.
“Hello Ladies: The Movie” is enjoyable, certainly for the adult crowd, and great for an entertaining night with a love story that feels more like something from real-life and not a fairy tale. Not to forget, Merchant’s performance alone is worth the time in this lighthearted story.