What's Your Number?

A version of this review appeared in The Age, October 13, 2011.

Judging by the current wave of Hollywood romantic comedies, there's still plenty of anxiety around the question of how much sex women should be having, and who with. Latest in line to have her morals assessed is Ally, played by the great Anna Faris, who realises in her thirties that she's had many more lovers than the national average. Rather than add new names to the list, she resolves to track down each of her exes to see if one of them might after all be her soulmate; aiding her is her neighbor Colin (Chris Evans) a “struggling musician” with a background in surveillance and a colourful sexual history of his own.

Any child could guess where this story is headed, but Ally sticks to her idiotic plan, chasing after a series of unavailable guys: one is about to get married, another turns out to be gay, and so forth. There's an uncomfortable subtext to these humiliations: Ally views herself as damaged goods, and the film never seems entirely sure this belief is misplaced. Nor is it clear whether she's meant to be a total airhead, or just a cheerful, normal girl who happens to fall over a lot. Still, it's hard to dislike any vehicle for Faris – the slob's Marilyn Monroe, with her gift for dejection and her pliable face like a hastily-drawn cartoon. Hearing her recite the lyrics to “Wouldn't It Be Loverly” in the world's worst Cockney accent is a joy in its own right.