I Give It A Year (2013)

Should you watch it? I give it a Yes

Since they met at a party, ambitious high-flyer Nat and struggling novelist Josh have been deliriously happy despite their differences. Josh is a thinker, Nat's a doer..but the spark between them is undeniable. Their wedding is a dream come true, but family, friends and even the minister who marries them aren't convinced that they can last. Josh's ex-girlfriend, Chloe, and Nat's handsome American client Guy, could offer attractive alternatives. With their first anniversary approaching, neither wants to be the first to give up, but will they make it?


Dan Mazer, writer of Borat and Bruno, gives us an anti-romcom which manages to often follow the usual formula you get in romantic comedies, but at the same time doesn't wholly stick to it. Beginning where most romantic comedies end, at the main characters wedding, it then follows on from there to see if Josh (Rafe Spall) and Nat (Rose Byrne) can make it a year together.

The good news is that it's funny. Josh and Nat give us a good amount of humor but its the supporting characters who steal the show. Stephen Merchant does great work as Dan, Josh's friend who says widely inappropriate things and after an outstanding dramatic performance in Tyrannosaur, Olivia Coleman goes back to her comedic roots with fantastic results. Minnie Driver and Jason Flemyng do great work as a married couple who constantly belittle one another yet still love each other.

She didn't like the look of the main course

Despite this, the film does drag at parts, especially throughout the middle, there are a number of jokes which fall flat and the main characters can often veer into being unlikable. But the combination of good performances and great laughs makes this a film you shouldn't wait a year to see.