‘What’s Your Number?’ Movie Review

Anna Faris and Chris Evans in 'What's Your Number?'
Anna Faris and Chris Evans in 'What's Your Number?' - © 20th Century Fox

If you’ve ever wondered what the film adaptation of a Cosmo sex quiz would be, look no further than What’s Your Number?.

It stars Anna Faris as a young woman who takes one of those quizzes. She then becomes determined to find the love of her life by reconnecting with her exes so as not to increase her number of sexual partners. Of course, she needs help to find those lost loves and so cue Captain America himself, Chris Evans … only here he’s playing her man-slut of a neighbor. Same difference.

Oh, please tell me the time they spend together actually brings these two love-starved cuties together! – Who the hell said that? Of course, that’s what happens. You didn’t think this film would stray from the chick flick formula did you? Noooo – Oh shut it.

Look, both Faris and Evans are extremely likable, and so the overall saccharine factor is tempered enough to allow the film to succeed on its most basic level. But this is far more like your average Katherine Heigl cinematic failure, just with better casting. Aside from Faris and Evans, Blythe Danner plays a wonderfully superficial mother, and a number of entertaining actors fill the shoes of Faris’ exes – Martin Freeman, Zachary Quinto, Chris Pratt, and Anthony Mackie to name a few.

Not helping matters are director Mark Mylod and anyone involved with the camerawork or cinematography. Most scenes are either reminiscent of your basic cable TV sitcom or feel like some artsy shot Mylod must have used in film school. And the overall look of the film is rather flat and unappealing, though that’s in sync with the script which probably was written on a series of cocktail napkins at a late-night Denny’s outing (having the leads play strip H-O-R-S-E at Madison Square Garden wasn’t just jumping the shark, it was like Olympic pole vaulting).

Still, the hardcore Rom-Com junkies will likely get enough out of this (largely and rightfully so because Faris and Evans don’t mind keeping the clothing to a minimum), though I highly recommend putting any excitement one may have about the film to the side and waiting for it to reach the home market. There’s nothing here that absolutely needs to be seen on the big screen and is it really worth enduring the random strangers nearby who think texting during a film isn’t distracting to others? Probably not.

And while the date movie alternative this weekend of 50/50 deals significantly with cancer and will come off as more serious and less vacant, the result is far more satisfying, even from the romantic comedy angle. What’s Your Number? is cinematic fluff, which is fine if that’s all you want, but don’t be surprised if you see it one night and forget about it before the next morning’s breakfast.

GRADE: C-

What’s Your Number? hits theaters on September 30, 2011 and is rated R for sexual content and language.