Slightly Single in L.A. heavily relies on its cast of actors who do their best to overcome quirky pacing and a plot that feels disjointed. Even so, Lacey Chabert is quite good in the main role and is surrounding by a group who make the best out of the humor.
Slightly Single in L.A. (2013)
Genre(s): Comedy, Romance
Well Go USA | NR – 88 min. – $29.98 | September 3, 2013
MOVIE INFO:
Directed by: Christie Will
Writer(s): Christie Will (written by)
Cast: Lacey Chabert, Kip Pardue, Jenna Dewan, Carly Schroeder, Jonathan Bennett, Haylie Duff, Chris Kattan, Simon Rex
DISC INFO:
Features: Featurette, Theatrical Trailer
Number of Discs: 1
Audio: English (DTS-HD MA 5.1), English (Dolby Digital 2.0)
Video: 1080p/Widescreen 1.85
Subtitles: English
Disc Size: 21.3 GB
Codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Region(s): A
THE MOVIE – 3.0/5
Every so often, in my endeavors as a hobbyist critic, I come across some unique films, the type that shouldn’t work but for whatever reason hits the right notes. The latest is Slightly Single in L.A., a romantic drama-comedy that’s more of a slice of life (mixed with quirk and fantasy) and something that I wonder was initially dreamt as a CW television series as the title alone screams of it… Is it a perfect and well balanced little movie? Not as much, there is plenty wrong with the story, and yet in the end I couldn’t help but smile.
The tale follows Dale Squire (LACEY CHABERT), a 30-something woman who works as a casting director for any number of lame realty television shows. It’s not a fulfilling job but it’s her personal life that’s in even bigger shambles. She had moved to L.A. after numerous failed relationships where the boyfriend cheated on her (doing some weird ass sh**) but doesn’t get much better settling for a famous photographer (SIMON REX; Scary Movie V) with a toe-sucking fetish and is carrying on other girls as well.
Dale eventually ends it and seeks the advice and support of her best friends who have been there after each break-up: Hallie (JENNA DEWAN) is the, for the lack of a better word, the hussy of the group; Becca (CARLY SCHROEDER) is an aspiring actress and not the brightest bulb; Jill (HAYLIE DUFF) is eager to get married to boyfriend Drew (CHRIS KATTAN) whether he wants to or not; and Seven (JONATHAN BENNETT) is your obligatory gay guy with sass plus provides counsel for Dale.
Her life becomes even more complicated on the personal side when an old friend turned famous singer Zach (KIP PARDUE) comes back into her life. She of course has a thing for him and vice versa but with the frequent bad dates and relationships, Dale is more than hesitant to get involved. Although they hang out both one-on-one and at the clubs with friends, she will not open up and goes so far as to watch Hallie do her game of seduction especially given her attraction toward famous people.
What follows are various scenes in which Dale pontificates about Zach and the other girls get some of their own dues especially Jill and her side story concerning her boyfriend’s disinterest in the wedding. It’s really a fairly simple story and thankfully it doesn’t go overboard with the drama though in one scene, which quickly gets resolved, it does wander into melodrama territory.
The writing on Slightly Single in L.A. isn’t the best but does benefit from a likable, and attractive, cast headlined by Lacey Chabert who is delightfully charming even when her character can be excruciatingly indecisive; Jonathan Bennett is fun in the token gay role, though thankfully they don’t go overboard and venture into the clichés that goes along with those parts; Jenna Dewan seems to do a wonderful Megan Fox impersonation; and Chris Kattan in his limited role provides some mild laughs in this female-centric movie.
Slightly Single was written and directed by Christie Will whose previous endeavors included other limited releases like Boy Toy and A Holiday Heist, also starring Chabert. While the story she wrote is interesting, and somewhat autobiographical, the dialogue isn’t the best and the plot comes across rather disjointed as the movie doesn’t quite flow right from one scene to the next. Still, it’s at least a competently made enough flick that in spite of issues with the screenplay, manages to find a ray of success.
In the end, and if you can even find this on Red Box or at your local video rental store, it might be worth one viewing for the cast and some genuinely cute moments and slight bouts of giggles with jokes that had no right in landing. Lacy Chabert is a delight in the main role and really overcomes script issues. I can’t say Christie Will’s romantic comedy is a home run but perhaps a base hit. No, it’s not entirely memorable and will likely fade away with the numerous other DTV romantic comedies that have come before, yet for the initial impression, it’s not bad… but it’s not very good either.
SPECIAL FEATURES – 1.25/5
Meet the Director (13:33; SD) – This is an interview with writer/director Christie Will answering questions about the movie. It’s nothing amazing and pretty one-note but if you have interest in the project then it might be worth one viewing.
Trailer (2:19; HD)
Previews – And While We Were Here, Not Suitable for Children, Triple Dog
VIDEO – 3.75/5
Arriving on Blu-ray via Well Go USA, Slight Single in L.A. does have some good detail levels throughout and the colors appear to be nicely balanced without seemingly brightened for the sake of high-definition. The movie is presented with a 1.85 widescreen aspect ratio and though it doesn’t pop off the screen, it’s more than adequate especially considering the independent nature of the budget.
AUDIO – 3.0/5
The 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track meanwhile isn’t overly effective as parts come across soft especially with the dialogue from the center speaker. However, given 98% of the movie is dialogue-driven; it’s not a total loss though depending on your system set-up, you might need to slightly turn up the volume. There’s really not a whole lot else to judge except for a generic score and some OK songs…
OVERALL – 2.5/5
Overall, Slightly Single in L.A. heavily relies on its cast of actors who do their best to overcome quirky pacing and a plot that feels disjointed. Even so, Lacey Chabert is quite good in the main role and is surrounding by a group who make the best out of the humor. The Blu-ray released by Well Go USA offers so-so video and audio tracks and the solo feature is nothing to get excited over either.
The Movieman
Published: 08/23/2013