Can it be considered fantasy when someone with the face and charm of Chris Evans is unlucky in love? Maybe so, but Playing It Cool is sticking firmly in romantic comedy territory, as shown by its first trailer.
The idea of the cynical romantic, burned too many times by love but perhaps willing to give it just one… more… chance is a well-used trope in rom-coms. So, perhaps is the idea that men and women – particularly those in some state of potential lust – have trouble just being friends.
In this case, our love-blighted hero is a screenwriter who is sick of writing romantic comedies and really wants to graduate to action. Part of the problem is his own love life is a mess, and is further complicated when he meets the seemingly ideal Michelle Monaghan. Trouble is, she’s engaged to Ioan Gruffudd, so they decide to be pals. Good luck with that, folks.
With a script by Chris Shafer and Paul Vicknair in hand, first-time director Justin Reardon has certainly assembled a good cast to tell what at first look appears to be a fairly basic boy-meets-girl tale. You’ll have more Evans/Anthony Mackie chemistry plus a stalwart supporting cast that includes Aubrey Plaza, Patrick Warburton, Martin Starr, Topher Grace, Luke Wilson, Giovanni Ribisi and Philip Baker Hall. What the film doesn’t yet have is a release date here or in the US, which seems careless if you ask us.