By: Lana K. Wilson-Combs
"ONE NIGHT ONLY" MISSES THE HOOK (UP)
How I miss
Nancy Meyers, the queen of romantic comedies whose movies like "The Holiday" and "Something's Gotta Give" understood that genuine chemistry and smart dialogue were far sexier than trying to shock an audience into laughing.
"One Night Only," the latest would-be romantic comedy from director/screenwriter
Will Gluck ("Anyone but You") and
Travis Braun (TV's "Pupstruction"), takes the opposite approach. It arrives with a cheeky, sex-fueled premise that promises outrageous fun, but instead of seducing audiences with wit, it spends most of its running time seeing just how far it can push the comedic envelope. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't. Often, less really is more.
Set in a near-future society where the government has outlawed premarital sex for singles except for one sanctioned night each year, "One Night Only" follows two lonely strangers--Allie (Monica Barbaro, "Crime 101") and Owen (Callum Turner, TV's "Masters of the Air”) --whose paths keep crossing as each searches for a hookup, only to discover they might be looking for something more meaningful.
It's an absurd concept, but absurdity isn't the problem. Romantic comedies have thrived on ridiculous setups for decades. The issue is that "One Night Only" can't figure out whether it wants to be a satire, a raunchy farce, or an old-fashioned rom-com, and it never fully commits to any of them.
Ironically, the movie works best whenever it stops chasing cheap laughs and simply lets Barbaro and Turner share the screen. The two have an easy, likable chemistry that makes you wish the filmmakers had trusted them with a more straightforward "boy meets girl" romance instead of piling on increasingly desperate gags. To be fair, there are a few genuine laugh-out-loud moments, but not enough.
Eventually, the comedy becomes more exhausting than entertaining, and a subplot involving Charlie Gillespie ("Soul's Road") as a musician that Ally adores, veers into humor that's more embarrassing than funny. It was also nice to see Sacramento natives LeVar Burton (TV's "Invincible") and Molly Ringwald (TV's "Feud") pop up in supporting roles, even if neither is given much to do.
There really are flashes of a better movie buried underneath all the manufactured outrageousness. Strip away the gimmick, keep Barbaro and Turner together, and there might have been a charming romantic comedy here.
Instead, "One Night Only" proves that just because a movie is about sex doesn't automatically make it sexy--or funny. With any luck, Nancy Meyers' upcoming romantic comedy "Paris Paramount"--due out next year--will remind audiences that the best romances don't need to scream for attention to leave a lasting impression.
Editor's Note: Be sure to catch my N2Entertainment.net movie talk segment on the Kitty O'Neal Show Fridays at 5:17 p.m. and 6:47 p.m. on radio station KFBK 93.1 FM and 1530 AM.
Watch This Trailer For
"ONE NIGHT ONLY"
Lana K. Wilson-Combs is a member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA), The American Film Institute (AFI), and a Nominating Committee Voting Member for the NAACP Image Awards.
