Sex is Back -- One Night Only: Movie Review

source: Universal

PUCKETT'S MOVIE PICKS

Mark Puckett reviews One Night Only:

Apparently, sex is back. Where it went, no one is quite sure. As far as I can tell, this film is largely about a pair of exceptionally long legs walking seductively around New York City in a halter neck mini. I am reasonably certain there is a hot actress attached to them, though it is easy to get distracted since those legs command every single frame.

Monica Barbaro is utterly adorable as a failed singer making a living voicing psoriasis commercials. Will Gluck's camera dotes on her much like it did Sydney Sweeney in Anyone But You. Keep an eye out for a few amusing cameos from that picture alongside a stable of familiar, funny faces that genuinely earned several out-loud laughs.

The premise operates on a strain of romantic sci-fi where a strict government outlaws sex for singles 364 days a year before all coitus-related hell breaks loose on the designated annual free-for-all. When pizza shop owner Callum Turner gets jilted by his long-term girlfriend on the big day, he keeps colliding with those aforementioned legs. Turner and Barbaro, both 36, understand the subtle thespian nuances of playful chemistry, turning the romp into something genuinely sensual and teasing.

Puckett’s 3 Rules for a Successful Romantic Comedy:

1. You have to fall in love with the girl and believe she might call you one day, despite the statistical improbability. Check.

2. You have to not think the guy is a douche. Check.

3. The script has to make fun of romantic comedies. Check.

These films routinely invite mediocre notices, but I left the theater genuinely happy. It is a rare beast: a romantic comedy that is actually very romantic and rather comedic.

Rating: 5 out of 5 Pucks

Playing at Majestic 11.