Review of What's Your Number? (2011) by Mimi S — 22 Mar 2014

What's Your Number is anything silly rom-com about desperate women, yawn! Although Anna Faris is likeable, I find she always plays the dumb blonde sweetheart and it gets boring after a while. What's Your Number is about a 30 something single woman, Ally Darling (Faris) who is unlucky in love and has had a string of unsuccessful and failed relationships. She starts to feel even more insecure and desperate when her younger sister, Daisy (Ari Graynor) is getting married. Ally also reads an article in Marie Claire magazine that women who have had more than 20 lovers, find it difficult to find a husband. Ally has slept with twenty men, whoops. She embarks on a mission to contact all of her past 20 lovers in hope of rekindling a relationship with one of them and hoping that they have always been the one. She enlists the help of her womanising neighbour, Colin (Chris Evans).

The film is stupid and predictable and even though I'm not a big feminist, a but insulting and patrosinising towards women. Even though it's the 21st century, this film gives out the message that it's unacceptable for women to sleep around and have more than 20 lovers and if you do, no man will ever want you. Whilst it's ok for men to sleep as with as many women as they want. Talk about double standards. I mean why does it matter about how many people you sleep with (unless you have an STI)? Why is sexual history still such a big deal for women? It's still frustrating how also being a 30 something woman and single is still seen as unacceptable. OK Bridget Jones' got away with it, but it was funny. This film is just frustrating and daft and really demeans the position of women.

OK rant over. This film is watchable and has some entertaining moments. Also Ally and Colin have good chemistry and Chris Evans is good eye candy for us girls. What's Your Number is just too predictable and formulaic; it's all been done before. I'm surprised they didn't choose Katherine Heigl for the role of Ally, as this is definitely a Katherine Heigl type rom-com. This film is just too cringe; I wanted to cringe for Ally as she desperately tracks down all her ex boyfriends with little success. What's Your Number is worth a watch though for it's likeable leads and some decent moments, but if you're staunchly anti chick-flick give this a miss. To be honest I'm kind of fed up of chick flicks myself; maybe if I find a hot hunk who sweeps me off my feet I'd like chick flicks a bit more, but for now they just irritate me too much.

Grade: C-/D+.