The storyline/Plot was very well acted by the leading man (Tony Hale) and the leading lady (Brigid Brannagh). Good relational study on both characters although I wish there were a little more signs of they will come together.

I do appreciate these type of movies with no cursing and no premarital sex because of the PG rating. It was about she accept him for the type of person he is and he learned the importance of continuing to care for other non-blood related people i.e. Her grandmother and trying to develop a friendship that would eventually lead to the next step.

(Disclaimer: The writer/director of this film, Lauralee Farrer, is a good friend of mine as are many of the other members of the crew. Of course, part of the reason I'm friends with her (and them) is because she is so thoughtful in her life and art, so I do not believe that our friendship invalidates what I'm about to write.)

A few weeks ago, in composing a capsule reaction to It Happened One Night, I lamented the apparent inability of modern filmmakers to do something interesting with the romantic comedy genre. Last night, upon reflecting on this film (my second viewing),I realized I had been unjust.

Not That Funny probably doesn't pass the Bechdel Test. While there are two women in the film, and while they do spend a lot of time talking to one another, I think they only talk about men - grandfathers, fathers, and current and future flames. There may be a conversation or two in there about both identity and future care (thus is the nature of the narrative),but even in those conversations, men feature prominently. On the other hand, the men in the film only talk about women as well - lost loves, surrogate grandmothers, and current and future flames.

But this is a romantic comedy, and those kind of conversations are what the genre is all about. I'm not sure its fair to apply the Bechdel Test to a movie about women and men trying to figure each other out. To me, this reveals the limits of both the Bechdel Test and categorical feminist film criticism. Put simply, both are content to laud films which are merely non-destructive. I think it's a tragic testament to most films that "non-destructive" is worth praise. However, Not That Funny proves that a greater critique is possible. A filmmaker can provide constructive criticism.

Not That Funny is a film that attempts to redefine what all of us (not just women) ought to value in men. Men who are vain, mean, arrogant, fake, who do things to increase their status instead of to truly help others, are lambasted. The effect of their unfaithfulness (to all people in a community, not just to the woman they're sleeping with) is revealed in all its harmfulness. Instead, the film values sincerity and selflessness, humility and compassion, steadiness and communal fidelity.

Furthermore, the female lead's arc resolves not in finding her identity in the lead male but rather in a burgeoning awareness of the value of sincerity, selflessness, humility, compassion, steadiness, and communal fidelity. She begins to fall in love with the lead male, because he too has learned to value those things.

Not That Funny is a sweet film that manages to be sentimental without being fake - clover honey, not aspartame. Its sweetness enhances our ability to appreciate what's truly good in the world. It doesn't overwhelm our tastebuds and make us dissatisfied with real life. It's the kind of romantic comedy the world needs.

(The film is also a chance to see how great Tony Hale can be in a more subdued role. He is far from Buster Bluth here. Your raised eyebrows at the idea of Tony Hale as a romantic lead is further proof of how messed up our ideas of romance are.)

It's not that I dislike romantic comedies. It's that I dislike lazy romantic comedies, just as I dislike any lazy film that seeks to take our entertainment dollars with a marque name, recycled tropes, and big, unrealistic scenarios. And this is as much of a spoiler as you're going to get: Not That Funny acknowledges all the predictable tropes we come to expect from those movies, then dismisses them for the bullshit they are.

Not That Funny is anything but lazy. It is infused with a genuine warmth, that comes from deft writing, good people, and intimate, quiet camera-work. So many times the camera lingered over little details, setting the tone for the movie and for the town of Sierra Madre where it was filmed.

This movie takes the somewhat daring position that not only is trying to change yourself for someone else an exercise in futility, but also that we all already accept that. It doesn't insult our intelligence by going over the top, or having our hero become someone radically different, alienate everyone, then realize the error of his ways in a dramatic (and humiliating) third-act turn. We've all seen THAT movie. We've seen it a hundred times. Instead, Not That Funny does the hard work of crafting characters who shine from within, whose warmth shows through so that we identify with them, love them, and want them to be happy.

If you're looking for big laughs, this is not the movie for you. In that, the title is correct. I smiled often. I even laughed a few times. But it's not that movie.

If you want to see a genuine, touching, and sweet movie about kind people realizing that they are worthy of love, you need to see this movie. And if you can rustle one up, take a date with you.