Good on Paper

A slightly disjointed romcom, loosely based on true events, about a young comic navigating the pitfalls of dating when she stumbles upon a guy who seems too good to be true.

“Good On Paper” follows the misadventures of stand-up comic Andrea Singer (Iliza Shlesinger) after meeting Dennis (Ryan Hansen), the seemingly perfect guy. But as you may have guessed, that which seems too good to be true, almost always is. As Ryan’s true nature is slowly revealed, the film’s underlying social commentary and subsequent function as a cautionary tale against settling when it comes to dating is made clear in a somewhat long-winded fashion.

Although there are several positively humorous and entertaining sequences throughout the film, primarily seen in the second act, it isn’t necessarily a laugh-a-minute. There are several moments that ultimately move too slowly, do little to advance the plot, build character, or just feel out of place altogether. Most romantic comedies have their fair share of cheesy build-up to climatic moments that don’t necessarily feel earned, and this film is no exception.

However, the ending does flip the stereotypical “happy ending” trope on its head.

In this film, stand-up comedian Iliza Shlesinger stars as a fictional version of herself in a fictional version of true events taken from her life. Throughout the film the action is frequently interspersed with cuts from the main character’s stand-up comedy show that serves as a commentary on themes introduced in the main plotline.

The film’s fractured structure in conjunction with the monologue performed by the main character at the end makes evident Shlesinger’s desire to communicate to the audience why women shouldn’t settle for less than what they want but furthermore, showcase the unjust ways in which women are often labeled as being “crazy” when they do.

“Good On Paper” strives to communicate these ideas in a way that is meant to feel hilariously organic but ultimately comes across as heavy handed and slightly out of touch, despite being primarily intended for a progressive audience.

While I am a long time fan of Shlesinger’s stand-up work, it seems as though she is a bit out of her element on film. Many of the jokes are overplayed, unnecessary, or come off as awkward. However, this element of the film was largely mitigated by Shlesinger’s obvious comedic chemistry with Margaret Cho, who plays Andrea’s best friend and bartender Margot.

Many of the best and most genuinely funny moments occur when these two are on screen together and their connection does a lot to serve the film’s overall narrative arc

As is implied by the trailer, Ryan has been lying about his identity and the last half of the film is consumed with Andrea’s denial of his betrayal and her harebrained schemes to uncover the truth resulting in (mild spoiler warning) her going to trial for kidnapping and assault. At the trial Andrea delivers a monologue outlining the emotionally manipulative circumstances by which she came to be in this situation and ultimately exonerating her of all charges.

While this scene does a good job of clearly getting the point across, it doesn’t feel like it belongs in a movie. Instead, it reads more like the ending to one of Shlesinger’s Netflix specials.

Overall director Kimmy Gatewood makes a notable impression in her directional debut and Shlesinger does an entertaining job bringing her dating horror story to life. I’m sure that fans of Shlessinger will enjoy the comedian’s signature style, while newcomers may find her constantly quippy and overly dramatic nature off-putting amidst a slightly absurd script.