This film is a star-studded cast: Josh Gad, Clint Howard, Kate Mara, and Alfred Molina. I had this movie on my list for a while, probably because of Josh Gad, Kate Mara, or Alfred Molina specifically. I think it was Kate Mara because I also had her short film, *Queen of Hearts*, on my list. The film is a bit interesting. Gad is an awkward "big guy" who is too ashamed for sex with prostitutes, doesn't have anyone to talk to, and can't hold a conversation with women. Mara is an awkwardly assertive but physically attractive stranger who is trapped working for her uncle in a brothel. Gad meets Mara in her workplace and Mara meets Gad in his workplace, until a fortuitous altercation leads them to spending the night, conversing, and starting a kind of relationship. The film is awkwardly cute, but is kind of difficult to take seriously. It has some slapstick humor, cheesy conflicts, and a platonic mood. It's mostly predictable and a little bit dull, so relating to it can be tough.
However, what I find interesting is the twist with Mara's condition: bulimia. It is clear from the start of the film and the title that Gad's insecurities and awkwardness comes from being overweight, which crushes any confidence he has. We wonder why Mara is so awkward and insecure. From the start, she takes a joke about smelling bad out of context and comments on female movie stars who are bulimic but it didn't click with me yet. She's a beautiful woman, so her appearance isn't the cause of her insecurities, like it is for Gad, so the next clues we get are that she's new in town and works as a doorman in a brothel. Neither of those things would lead to her awkwardness though. Later on, we learn of her bulimia which causes her to lose confidence in herself, showing that not only can a big guy feel insecure about his body, but so can a woman who appears to be beautiful. Despite the former assumptions, her body is the cause of her insecurities, but from the audience's perspective (seeing through the perspective of a big guy), we or Gad wouldn't expect her to feel this way. In the end, we learn that anyone can be insecure about something and we won't truly know until we just sit down and talk with them.
In the end, he shows her kindness and she opens up to him and they realize they're both insecure and awkward and perfect for each other and it concludes with credits over the two of them talking at the dinner table. It's cute and has a good message but my problem with the film is the tone. It's either a platonic romance, dull comedy, or an awkward drama. I don't know what fits best or if it's a mix of the three, but the problem I'm having is that the comedy aspect is too dull to carry the film and the dramatic elements lie mostly on Mara, while Gad doesn't open up much, besides stepping outside of his comfort zone to help her. It also leaves some unresolved conflicts such as the angry brothel patron who punches Gad and doesn't appear again and Mara's uncle, who runs the brothel that he tried to coerce her to join as a prostitute. So, the comedy is weak, the drama is ambiguous, and lastly, the romance is the only thing that really carries the film. It is awkward and cute, as I've mentioned several times already, and that's really all it does for the film. But, in order to enjoy the romance, I have to stay entertained over the twenty minute runtime and not get bored from the slow pace. I enjoy slow pacing when done right, but the film doesn't offer much and it's slow, which makes it less enjoyable. All in all, the cute awkwardness, great cast, and good message make it a decent watch, but it otherwise feels unfinished and amateur. Also, a hooker in the film refers to sex as "porking" which I always find funny, so that scored an extra point.
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