Ben Palmer’s (The Inbetweeners Movie) blind date romantic comedy Man Up has been picked up for North American distribution by Saban Films, hot off the heels of its Tribeca Film Festival world premiere. The film opened to satisfied reviews, with many critics calling the film delightful and humorous despite its somewhat reductive title.
The film stars In a World…‘s Lake Bell (with a convincing British accent) as a single woman in her 30s who is disillusioned with the dating world. When she gets mistaken for a stranger’s (Simon Pegg, Hot Fuzz) blind date, she decides to take a chance and continue with the ruse.
The plot description as well as the trailer point to a story full of romantic comedy conventions, but two charming performances from Bell and Pegg could very well bring out the best qualities of the familiar genre.
The film also stars Ophelia Lovibond (No Strings Attached), Olivia Williams (The Sixth Sense), and Henry Lloyd-Hughes (Anna Karenina) and is the first feature from screenwriter Tess Morris. Saban Films is still in the process of setting a release date for Man Up.