The not so typical romantic comedy “What’s Your Number”? is a perfect blend of over-the-top humor and sentimental moments. Ally Darling (Anna Faris, “The House Bunny”) is a fiery, outspoken party girl who is on a quest for love after numerous failed relationships.
From the opening lines of the movie, the girl cannot seem to catch a break. She lost her job, her overbearing prissy mother is pressuring her to find the perfect man, her younger sister is getting married before her and she is the drunken floosy of her friend circle.
Ally is shocked when she reads in a magazine that 96 percent of women who have had sex with 20 or more men never get married. She immediately starts making a list of all of the men that she has slept with and arrives at lucky number 19.
Ally coyly invents a drinking game to get her friends to reveal the number of people they have had sex with. She starts off the game confident that her friends’ numbers will be similar to her own, but ends the game shocked and disappointed.
What’s worse is that after spending the night out, she wakes up lying next to Mr. Number 20. Obviously, the only rational way to solve this dilemma is for Ally to re-date her exes.
This is where Ally’s neighbor, the handsome Colin Shea (Chris Evans, “Captain America: The First Avenger”) arrives to save the day. Colin promises to help Ally find her exes if she will help him escape from his recent hook-ups … and so the adventure begins. Date after date, Ally tries to rekindle love that never existed. She attempts everything, from speaking in a sub-par British accent that sounds more like Borat to pretending she cares about politics.
This grueling and often embarrassing series of dates turns into a bonding experience for Ally and Colin to joke about. Although Colin is persistent in pursuing Ally, she remains focused on keeping her number at 20. After all, Colin is a good friend, but he is not marriage material.
Finally, Ally finds the ex she has been pining for. He was her first boyfriend and her mother’s idea of perfection. Everyone around her reassures her he is the one.
But Ally has an epiphany moment where she realizes that the only time she is herself is when she is with Colin. He may be a promiscuous and wild musician – the type of guy you just date – but, as it turns out, he is perfect for her.
From the second Evans’ character is introduced, viewers have the ending figured out. However, audiences remain engaged, as it is exciting to see how the movie progresses and finally arrives at the predictable ending.
Luckily, Director Mark Mylod and writers Gabrielle Allen and Jennifer Crittenden made the journey of arriving at the happily ever after ending a funny one.
Anna Faris has a way of adding flavor and punch to any production she is in. Her lively character throws out knee-slapping lines like candy at a parade that make you want to whisper with the person sitting next to you.
Beyond all of the fun and games, “What’s Your Number”? teaches the age old lesson that you are happiest when you act like yourself. Right when Ally stopped caring what other people thought, her life fell into place.
The movie features a non-conventional couple as far as romantic comedies go, but, in modern reality, maybe this depiction of love is more common than we perceive. The statistics about the number of partners one has in relation to marriage may just be made up for this movie, but it does not stop Ally from disproving the idea.
You do not have to have less than 20 partners or care about politics and flower arrangements to find love. Love is not a cookie cutter to conform to, but rather an original work of art the right one will appreciate.
“What’s Your Number”? is a lighthearted film with a happy ending that is perfect for a relaxed Friday night with friends of both sexes. It is an interesting concept for a movie that will leave friends jabbering about their numbers and dating experiences long after the movie has ended.
3.5 out of 5 stars
