Are We Officially Dating?

Casual visitors to this site will have noticed that I see a lot movies. My taste in films is quite wide ranging and not just confined to 'quality' cinema. I'll happily see all manner of movies even those of which I have no high expectations. The latter often feature handsome male actors, a factor which is often sufficient to attract my interest.

Zac Efron is one of those faces (and bodies) I am happy to see on the big screen without much concern to the value of the movie featuring him.

That's why I went to see the clumsily titled 'Are We Officially Dating?' which elsewhere is titled, more relevantly, 'That Awkward Moment'.

The premise of the film is the friendship of three twenty-something men. One is married but he is shocked to be told by his wife that she wants a divorce. The other two, in a show of sympathy, persuade him that they should not enter into any relationships. If there was a time limit, or target, for completing this arrangement then I did not catch it.

Naturally, all three are immediately tempted by burgeoning relationships but because of the agreement none of them can bring themselves to admit this to the others.

The way all this is presented in the film is, to be frank, simply ridiculous. How is it that these three (and their lady friends) can live the lifestyles that they do? The fancy NewYork City residences bulging with original artwork seem well outside of the incomes they would earn from their jobs. Their sex lives are over the top and at times embarrassing. The way in which a snooty group of fifty-somethings respond to Efron's appearance at their soiree is simply unbelievable.

Efron is one of the Producers of this nonsense. I like Efron and I feel he has hinted at a capacity for acting in some earlier films that belies his general reputation but he does himself no favour placing himself in this less than modest trifle.
★1/2