Set It Up is a 2018 comedy about two corporate executive assistants who hatch a plan to match-make their two bosses.
Romantic comedies are not exactly fertile ground for fresh content, though perhaps what makes them so enduring is their robust consistency. People love familiarity and when it comes to a harmless romcom, it’s like a security blanket in a world gone mad, knowing that we can at least feel some sense of stability in the made-up universe of the two main characters that all is going to work out dreamily. That’s certainly the case for Claire Scanlon‘s latest love lorn entanglement, Set It Up, a mostly standard tale of corporate romance with some genuine bits that offer a few well-earned surprises along the way, managing to make this a comfortable distraction.
Late one night in the high floors of a fast-paced office building, young Harper (Zoey Deutch) is assistant to the highly-successful ESPN reporter Kirsten (Lucy Liu), who is of course, outrageously demanding of her. Ratta-tat-tating off orders in a blue streak, she expects a meal to be on her desk immediately, despite the advanced hour. It just so happens that in the same building, young Charlie (Glen Powell), an assistant to Rick (Taye Diggs), a powerful corporate saber-rattler of sorts is also hungry. Down on the first floor, when Harper’s meal comes, she doesn’t have the cash, but Charlie does and well, a clever deal is struck and a motivated relationship kicks off that begins with some spitfire but quickly evolves into a partnership designed in hooking up their two bosses, hoping that sidetracked by love, they might lay off their assistants for a bit. But whose falling in love with whom?
Easily, the best things going for Set It Up are Deutch and Powell, who are wonderful together, conjuring spirits of the Golden Age of cinema with a playful fast-talking pratfall-ish kind of relationship that is energizing to a degree but more so, hopelessly charming. Deutch is a magnetic rising star, who finally has a role she’s practically machine-made for, her bubbly hyper emotional delivery spot-on from frame one. Powell finds lots of exploration in his obviously limited role as well, wringing more than enough warmth out of the old material.
Guessing the plot isn’t all that hard, and in fact, the a,b,c plotting allows the movie to remain true to its trajectory while letting the people in it blossom a bit more than expected. Where Scanlon and screenwriter Katie Silberman find their groove is with many moments that actually feel authentic between Harper and Charlie, with some smart dialogue that is surely movie-land bound but in this world, very fun.
Still, the stuff orbiting Harper and Charlie is far less meaty with all too many moments that try hard to be kooky and upend some of the terrific chemistry already rooted. There are some potentially good bits amid the jungles of the office environment that seem ready to make good on some promises it sets up, but doesn’t always make it work. Both Kristen and Rick never really fleshed enough to make it matter. There’s also a cartload of supporting characters and scenarios that hit and miss, though most find ways to liven up their sometimes blink and you’ll miss it moments, most especially Tituss Burgess and Pete Davidson.
It’s the little surprises that clicked with me, like a baseball Kiss Cam moment that seems one hundred percent destined to do one hundred percent what you think it will be before doing nothing of the sort. It really helps to keep you on your toes. Not a groundbreaking entry, nor looking to be, Set It Up at least is better than most and for a modern twist on romance, works just fine.