Movie review: 'Happythankyoumoreplease'

2 stars
Written and directed by Josh Radnor
Starring Radnor, Malin Akerman, Kate Mara, Zoe Kazan, Tony Hale
Rated R

It says something about a movie when a majority of the characters are aspiring fill-in-the-blanks. In “Happythankyoumoreplease,” Sam is an aspiring novelist. His love interest (Kate Mara) is an aspiring singer, and his friend is an aspiring filmmaker. Watching characters aspire can be a cathartic experience, but not so with these trying
Manhattan twentysomethings.

Josh Radnor (“How I Met Your Mother”), who directed and wrote the film, stars as Sam, the young, occasionally successful writer whose life becomes the stuff of short stories when he helps out a young boy (Michael Algieri) who’s lost his family on the subway. His tale is interwoven with others — his friend Annie (Malin Akerman), the social worker with a heart of gold who can’t seem to find the right man; Mary-Catherine (Zoe Kazan) and Charlie (Pablo Schreiber), who can’t decide if they should leave New York for L.A.

From the dating woes to the city-street landscape, “Happythankyoumoreplease” strives to be relatable to a certain population of young urbanites. The characters, though, are too insular, and the script lacks any sort of fresh perspective. The only people who don’t annoy you are the cute kid, who barely even speaks, and Tony Hale (“Arrested Development”), who puts on an intriguing performance as an unlikely love interest. If you must see this film, see it for Hale.

Playing at the Angelica