Sitting comfortably in my letterboxed top four, I have desperately been trying to spread the word about this gem of a film for some time. To me, it is a beacon of light in the rom-com world, which seemed to take a slump post early 2000s. And so, I present to you Plus One.
To reel you in, let me throw out some tropes. We get a great friends to lovers romance, a quest-like plotline and an exploration into feeling left behind and stuck in life. Its plot and general vibe is similar to ‘Four weddings and a funeral’ and ‘No strings attached’, also two great watches if you are so inclined.
The film is centred around the characters of Jack Quaid (Ben) and Maya Erskine (Alice) as they navigate attending the many weddings of their friends and family. Alice is fresh out of a tough breakup and Ben is in need of a wingman/woman (which Alice decides must be her!). The two form a pact to attend the weddings together as moral support and for convenience sake. What follows is a journey through various odd weddings and awkward attempts at meet cutes.
Throughout, we get glimpses into both characters relationships with their parents, showing us how that has affected how they are in relationships and how they view marriage. Whilst Ben’s parents are divorced, and his Dad is about to embark on yet another marriage, Alice’s are together but stuck in a miserable silence. The two tackle their changing relationship meeting obstacles of exes, parental hangups and disagreements over the pace of their progressing feelings. Each gets in their own way in a, at times, painfully realistic depiction of dating.
Spattered throughout are stylised comedic cutaways to various, shall we say, interesting wedding speeches highlighting what our pair have been subjected to as they experience each, unique and often painfully awkward wedding. The delightful interruptions are reminiscent of the cutaways in ‘He’s just not that in to you’, another rom-com which follows a cast of characters through the nightmares of commitment and modern dating.
The personal filming style, utilised by directors Jeff Chan and Andrew Rhymer, puts you right in the characters perspectives. Many of the senses are shot to give the illusion that they were just one continuous take, further adding to the realistic flow of the movie. Often what jumps out to me is a movie’s colour pallet, how it utilised lighting and wardrobe to assist in telling the story. Plus One’s palette is a classic mixture of bright colours for the carefree scenes of Ben and Alice at their best, and deeper tones for times when more serious conversations are had. Personally, I love Alice’s bright wardrobe and pops of colour. I would certainly struggle to find a good outfit for that many weddings, but she pulls it off flawlessly!
Quaid and Erskine deliver chemistry for their characters which shines through, not in overtly romantic actions, but rather through their comfort in unfiltered sharing with each other and the laughs they share. The fact that they have been friends since college gives them a believable basis to build upon and doesn’t fall in to the trap of saying that there was always something romantic between then which some find frustrating. Their humour is definitely adult so if you prefer a more sweet and classic romance, look away now! But the crass nature of their dialogue allows us to see how the friends were together in their carefree college days adding more to show just how comfortable they are with each other.
Alice is unapologetically odd and colourful, defined by being the classic oversharing friend. Still reeling from the end of a long-term relationship, Alice desperately wants to avoid heartbreak. As the movie progresses, we see more of her serious side, her desire to love and be loved.
Ben is a romantic contradiction, both seeking partnership but also having serious commitment issues about knowing if someone is ‘the one’. He sees the most minute flaws as deal-breakers and is feeling stuck in life as everyone moves on around him. His dry humour and slight awkwardness complements Alice perfectly. A central part of who Ben is fleshed out through his relationship with his father, their scenes show a loving but slightly strained relationship, that by the end allows Ben to see what he really wants. Speaking of Ben’s dad Chuck, I feel he needs a special mention. Chuck is an unexpected gem with every scene he is in. He is quietly hilarious. At times it feels like the actor, Ed Bengley Jr, isn’t even acting. His portrayal feels like a random middle-aged dad has been picked up and put in a film, and I for one find it delightful to watch!
It has been pointed out to me that my love of this movie may really come down to the fact that the female main character is called Alice, and to that I say … you may have a point. But seriously, this movie is a perfect mix of the rom and the com if you will. So please enjoy and happy watching!