I Want You Back review: Jenny Slate and Charlie Day's rom-com is weirdly funny, a feel-good movie!

4/5

Story:

The film revolves around two strangers who cross paths after their breakups with their respective partners. They realise they were dumped on the same day and bond over it. The two then plot a plan to get them back. But things don't go as planned.

Review:

The film opens with two couples breaking up. Noah (Scott Eastwood) breaks up with Emma (Jenny Slate) as he wants more in life and 32-year-old Jenny is certainly not quite there yet. She lives with two roommates who are college students. Noah gives this an excuse and moves on in his life with his new girlfriend. On the same day, another couple Anne (Gina Rodriguez) and Peter (Charlie Day) breakup at Anne's nephew's birthday party. Anne, an English school teacher, dumps Peter as she finds him boring and wants someone, who is full of life. She too seems to move on quickly as she starts dating the drama teacher at school.

Emma and Peter, who work in the same building, run into each other while they are crying over their breakups in the fire exit. They get to talk and bond over their breakups and soon become 'sad sisters'. They soon become friends and plot a plan to get their loved ones back. The two decide to break them up. Emma decides to flirt with the drama teacher and get Anne jealous and later get her to break up with him and Peter decides to befriend Noah and break him up with his girlfriend. While Emma succeeds in the plan, Peter screws it up. Peter's plan backfires. Spoiler alert! Instead of breaking Noah and his girlfriend, he ends up giving the idea to Noah to settle in his life with her. He proposes to her and ends up getting married.

The character arcs are well. As the story progresses, Emma and Peter are seen discovering themselves. The two also support each other's future plans. Well, you can right there guess that the two are going to get together eventually.

The film is sure to give you a few chuckles. The scenes of Emma and Peter crying after their breakups are quite funny, but not over the top. The way Peter reacts when Emma tells him that he is someone with whom you can only fall in love slowly, maybe in a couple of months or years, Emma trying to set him up with a grandmother who he helps and other scenes are funny and cute. The scene where Peter gets out of the box after hearing Noah and his girlfriend have sex thrice in the bed next to the box will give you a hard laugh and make you feel sorry for him.

The performances of the actors are impeccable. The story is also presented well. The extent to which the two can go to get the love of their lives is insane but it does not make you judge them for what they are doing or pity them or even consider them desperate.

The last scene, though, might seem a bit odd and over the top but it is understandable why the writers wrote the climax of the film the way it is. But the way the frame fades to black is quite interesting. Unlike the usual rom-com where the end is usually a couple kissing or shown to have their happily-ever-after, I Want You Back ends with just the two smiling at each other. It might initially appear as an abrupt end, especially after seeing the two travel long distances for their love.

The direction and cinematography are good. The writing is impeccable and the narrative is well-paced too. The story keeps you hooked to the screen from the start to the finish, making you laugh almost throughout its runtime. Well, what more do you need after a long tiring day!

Verdict:

The film is a light-hearted watch. It can be a good choice if you are looking for something to unwind after a long day at work.