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SXSW Review: 'I Give It A Year' Is A Woefully Inept Deconstruction Of Romantic Comedies

  • By Drew Taylor
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  • March 15, 2013 8:58 AM
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  • 2 Comments
Reviews
There's a certain amount of winky irreverence built into "I Give It A Year," based on its title alone, which is something that people snarl, usually at the weddings of people who they feel are fundamentally incompatible. The title suggests that, while it might appear to be a bouncy romantic comedy, it has some seriously acidic undertones. This sensation is solidified once you know that Dan Mazer, one of Sacha Baron Cohen's confederates and a co-writer on both "Borat" and "Bruno," wrote and directed "I Give It A Year." Maybe it's the "Cabin in the Woods" of romantic comedies – something that simultaneously deconstructs the genre while celebrating it (and ultimately elevating it to the next plateau). Unfortunately, "I Give It A Year" is a woefully inept, unfunny, unsexy romantic comedy that falls into all the pitfalls and clichés that it willingly tries to avoid.
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More: South By Southwest Film Conference and Festival (SXSW), SXSW Film Festival, I Give It A Year, Rose Byrne, Rafe Spall, Stephen Merchant , Minnie Driver, Simon Baker, Review

Watch: ‘I Give It A Year’ Premieres Today In U.K.; Teases U.S. With 3 More Clips

  • By Tess Hofmann
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  • February 8, 2013 10:20 AM
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  • 1 Comment
News
“I Give It A Year” drops today in the U.K., and while U.S. distribution still hasn’t been secured, the rom-com’s SXSW stateside premiere in March should guarantee that someone picks it up. Witha cast of US-friendly faces including Rose Byrne, Anna Faris, Minnie Driver and Simon Baker, plus one of the most seriously promising rom-com trailers of its genre in years -- it seems like a no brainer. But on the off chance that a U.S. release is delayed, we can probably just piece together the teasers that keep coming out and get something close to a feature film.
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More: I Give It A Year, Rose Byrne, Minnie Driver, Stephen Merchant , Rafe Spall

Watch: 2 Clips From 'I Give It A Year' Highlight Unsuccessful Attempts At Romance

  • By India Ross
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  • January 31, 2013 11:23 AM
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  • 1 Comment
News
There is a Richard Curtis-shaped hole in British comedy. After "Love, Actually" – and to a lesser extent, 'Bridget Jones 2,' and the best-forgotten "The Boat That Rocked" – the genre has been somewhat adrift, and as we wait to see if "About Time" will return him to his former glory, there are some other efforts on the way that will potentially fill the void.
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More: I Give It A Year, Simon Baker, Stephen Merchant , Anna Faris

Watch: Stephen Merchant's Awkward Best Man Speech In Clip From 'I Give It A Year'

  • By Joe Cunningham
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  • January 16, 2013 12:18 PM
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  • 2 Comments
News
It may not have a U.S. release date yet (or even a distributor for that matter) but we’re still looking forward to the British rom-com “I Give It A Year.” The film is Dan Mazer’s first as director (after a string of writing credits on Sacha Baron Cohen’s TV shows and movies) and stars Rafe Spall and Rose Byrne as a couple exploring the trials and tribulations that occur during their first year of marriage. The cast also boasts Anna Faris, Simon Baker, Jason Flemyng, Minnie Driver and - as you’ll see from the following clip – Stephen Merchant.
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More: Stephen Merchant , I Give It A Year

Watch: Trailer For 'I Give It A Year' With Rose Byrne & Rafe Spall Promises A Rare Decent Rom-Com

  • By Oliver Lyttelton
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  • November 21, 2012 11:45 AM
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  • 1 Comment
News
Perhaps no genre of film has as low a rate of return as the romantic comedy. Even horror films have the occasional subversive festival gem to prop up fan interest every so often, but serious fans of the rom-com are reduced to getting their jollies from the amiable, but botched likes of "Crazy Stupid Love" and "The Five-Year Engagement," films which are no great shakes, but look like masterpieces compared to stuff like "Something Borrowed" and "New Years Eve," that makes up most of the films of this type. We're a long way from "When Harry Met Sally," or even "Bridget Jones' Diary."
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More: Film Trailers, I Give It A Year, Rafe Spall, Rose Byrne, Simon Baker, Anna Faris, Stephen Merchant , Dan Mazer, Olivia Colman

Watch: Third Season Announcement Trailer For 'Luther'; 'Wilfred' Also Gets Renewed For Another Season

  • By Kevin Jagernauth
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  • November 2, 2012 2:38 PM
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  • 1 Comment
Television
...and just like that, out of the dark, "Luther" fans have some very, very good news. Idris Elba and the show are back. As for Ruth Wilson and Alice? You'll just have to wait and see.
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More: Luther, Elijah Wood, Idris Elba, Stephen Merchant , HBO , Hello Ladies, Television, TV News

HBO Picks Up Stephen Merchant Comedy 'Hello Ladies'

  • By Kevin Jagernauth
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  • July 24, 2012 9:36 AM
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  • 0 Comments
Television
Is it just us, or does HBO seem to be becoming a lot more auteur-driven as of late? Their three big commissions for 2012 were Lena Dunham’s “Girls,” Armando Iannucci’s “Veep,” and Aaron Sorkin’s “The Newsroom,” and then they co-produced Ricky Gervais’ “Life’s Too Short” with the BBC. All of those shows very definitely bear the mark of their creator and said creators are all very hands on in all of those cases. That trend looks set to continue with HBO picking up the pilot for a new comedy called “Hello Ladies.”
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More: Stephen Merchant , Television, TV News, Hello Ladies, HBO

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