8/10
A refreshing romantic comedy told from the guy's perspective.
13 May 2015
Playing It Cool tells the story of a guy(Chris Evans), who doesn't believe in love. He is a screenwriter by profession. He is told to write a script for a romantic comedy by his boss, Bryan(Anthony Mackie). Being someone who doesn't believe in the concept of falling in love but would rather keep it casual with every girl he meets, he struggles to write the script. He seeks ideas & inspiration from his group of friends including, Scott(Topher Grace), Mallory(Aubrey Plaza), Lyle(Martin Starr), & Samson(Luke Wilson) on matters regarding love. However, he fails to get inspired. When a woman(Michelle Monaghan) enters his life, he starts falling for her. However, things get complicated when he finds out that she's in a relationship with a guy named Stuffy(Ioan Gruffudd).

Playing It Cool is my new favorite romantic comedy. Though the ending is predictable & follows the classic romantic comedy formula, the movie itself rarely goes in the direction of clichés. Even when it does, the characters of the film are very aware of it & mock themselves or others for it. Another thing I love about the movie is that it's a romantic comedy told from the male perspective. This film is totally out of the box because till the end of the movie, we never find out the hero & heroine's names. I don't think this has ever been done before. Chris Evans is unforgettable as the Narrator. It's nice to see Evans play a character who is a player & a habitual liar, which is the complete opposite of Steve Rogers/Captain America, his most famous character. Evans excels not just in the comedic moments but, in the emotional scenes as well. Evans' narration is the heart & soul of the film. Michelle Monaghan is outstanding as Her. The chemistry between Chris Evans & Michelle Monaghan is natural & electrifying. Topher Grace is great as Scott. Aubrey Plaza is brilliant as Mallory. Martin Starr is hilarious as Lyle. Luke Wilson is good as Samson. Ioan Gruffudd is impressive as Stuffy. Philip Baker Hall is spectacular as Granddad. Anthony Mackie is awesome as Bryan. The supporting characters are effective. Playing It Cool is a must watch for women who love romantic comedies & men who are skeptical of them.
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