I Give It A Year

When we first meet Nat (Rose Byrne) and Josh (Rafe Spall), they've been married for nine months and are already attending couple's counselling. From here they go back to the beginning - their wedding day - and uproot the seeds of doubt that have been asking the same niggling question since then, namely "Are we right for each other?" Along the way we're introduced to Nat's sister (Minnie Driver) and brother-in-law (Jason Flemyng), as well as Josh's best friend (Stephen Merchant), none of whom believes the marriage will work out. Also in the mix are possible temptations in the form of Nat's new client (Simon Baker) and Josh's ex-girlfriend (Anna Faris). With all of these elements at work, can Nat and Josh make it over the hump of the one-year mark?

Given that this movie is from the producers of Love Actually and Bridget Jones' Diary, but from the writer of Bruno and Borat, there is a lot about I Give It A Year that feels familiar, and a lot that feels slightly unhinged. There is the bitchy best friend, the horny old people and the outwardly horrible to each other couple who really deep down love each other. But then there's the marriage counsellor who's own marriage is falling apart, and the attorney who wants to go into specific details about whether or not he should pull the plug on them should they ever slip into a permanent coma. Very rarely laugh out loud funny - with the exception of scenes involving an electronic photo-frame, and another involving the world's worst threesome - I Give It A Year's humour is more of the cringe-worthy variety, which should have you giggling while gnawing on your own knuckles.

There is an interesting story here about a couple who slowly come to realise that they should be in love with each other but probably aren't, however this is too often lost in a sea of annoying characters (Merchant, specifically, is supremely punchable here) and slightly unbelievable situations (who brings doves to a dinner date?). On top of that, Byrne comes across as a truly anal harpy, bordering on completely unlikeable. But Spall is the saving grace, thanks to his wonky handsomeness and easy charm. I Give It A Year is at its best when it's slyly converting the usual tropes of the rom-com, but unfortunately it doesn't do this nearly often enough. Fun, but ultimately forgettable.