Review of They Came Together (2014) by Midlands M — 15 Sep 2014

This send up of romantic comedy movies stars comedians Paul Rudd and Amy Poehler as Joe and Molly who are starry eyed 30-somethings who have to overcome the usual barriers associated with the genre in this spot on satire.

The spoof begins as they tell their story to 2 friends over dinner with Rudd's employment at the Corporate Candy Store threatening Poehlers's independent sweet shop but they soon meet at a joint friend's party.

The parody of the film unfortunately becomes a bit too self-aware (I did enjoy the male friends' combination of traits whilst failing abysmally at life represented by street basketball) but overall, it knows what it's mocking and doesn't stray from its target too far.

The jokes are a bit hit and miss and I've never seen Poehler's attraction but Rudd is consistently brilliant as the likeable everyman who gets screwed over by his ex - an adulterous Cobie Smoulders.

The predictability and clichés of the rom-com genre are the real problem for the plot as you know the targets before they arrive - from their first ambivalent encounter and musical montage of dates to the falling out and subsequent realisation of their rekindled love.

The farcical jokes continue from a room-smashing first snog to a unique twist of the behind the ear coin trick in order for Rudd to look the perfect father figure to Poehler's sassy single mom. I suppose the closest companion is other high concept fare like The Invention of Lying (2009) but like that film, you have to be careful not to become a citizen of "Smugland".

More than once I felt a twinge of self righteousness in the movie that it wasn't a fond homage to the genre but was in fact above it. I think the best parodies have to love the genre as much as poke fun at it.

That said, a late cameo from Michael Shannon is spot on as the 'ex with issues' and the haphazard nature of the film and the sometimes aimless jokes are a small price to pay for an often funny farce that looks at how these films follow formula.

7/10 Midlands Movies Mike.