Singles (1992)

[ARCHIVE: This was a mini-review I snuck into a post way back in the day. I guess it stands up okay, but I think it speaks too broadly for such a short article]

There are a few movies in the world that speak in a believable tone. Many ask you to suspend belief to one degree or another, to accept that a woman's jilted boyfriend is still the bad guy, or that aliens do exist, or that a man who wears his underwear outside his tights wouldn't be ridiculed. And then there are those that are so true to life, are so believable and relatable that we simply smile and agree when somebody proclaims that it is a good movie. Chasing Amy. Reds. High Fidelity. And now, Singles.

An earlier film effort by Cameron Crowe, Singles is, in a sentence, about the young adult dating scene in Grunge-era Seattle. But underneath the dry back-of-the-box description is a film without any dishonest emotions. There is no devastatingly handsome alpha male, nor is there a brainy beauty-in-disguise. The characters are all well rounded and believable, if somewhat eccentric (in the case of Debbie). A woman falls in love and considers marriage within a week, only to be disillusioned shortly thereafter. A man psychs himself up for a night of phone number hunting, only to lose the nerve to call even one of them the next day. His friend insist that he plays no games, only to be told that playing no games is his game. Every piece of dialogue is stacked with layers of emotion. He may say one thing, but you see in his eyes and on the expression on his face that he is trying to convince himself just as much as the audience. With such a popular topic as relationships, one would be wary, not wanting to see another derivative movie. But the pacing of the story and the honesty with which it speaks keeps the viewer's attention. There will be many moments while watching this movie that you will think "Wow, that's exactly what I did, that's how I felt." I strongly recommend this movie to everyone. It's even got cameos by Pearl Jam.