Review: "Date and Switch"

Sex comedies, despite all their sexual voraciousness, are inconsistent and questionable in the one thing they are so adamant about: sex. The sexual politics of too many sex comedies are regressive and more than a little shameful, indulging in not only the childish humor but the perspective of adolescents. That is, in part, due to the protagonists of most of these movies being virginal teen boys who are desperately in want of sex. Teen boys don’t have the most admirable views of sex or sexuality, and the views of teen movies too often have the quality of a misogynistic bro mentality.

Date and Switch starts from that place of infantile humor and questionable views of women and sex, but it quickly throws a wrench into the equation. The film begins with a familiar premise: best friends Michael (Nicholas Braun) and Matty (Hunter Cope) make a pact to get laid in time for prom. Problem is that Matty happens to be gay, something he confesses for the first time. Michael doesn’t take this well, and the film takes advantage of this situation to call bullshit on some of the more unfortunate laden homophobic views in adolescent and straight male culture. 

In Matty, the film creates the antithesis of the stereotypical notions of homosexuality. Like Happy Ending’s Max, Matty is a schlubby slacker who outwardly appears like a guy’s guy. He’s only gay in the one sense that really matters, his desire to sleep with men. The film uses Matty’s coming out to show how uncomfortable and difficult this kind of thing is for a young newly out gay person.

Admirable as the film’s underlying messages and themes are, it still falls prey to typical sex comedy traps, getting caught up in some truly idiotic jokes and some overly familiar scenarios. Outside of its big twist, which it plays up to great effect, the film doesn’t have that many new things to add to the tired stories of male friendship or the quest to lose one’s virginity (not that we needed much more said about either in the first place).  

Braun and Cope are both far too old for the parts they’re playing, which only serves to make the scenario, already treated with a juvenile light-heartedness, less convincing (It also doesn’t help that neither is an especially strong actor). Supporting performers help round things out making the most of a little, like Nick Offerman as Michael’s father and Dakota Johnson as  Matty’s understanding former girlfriend (Johnson keeps being great in bit parts that squander her – here’s thinly hoping that 50 Shades of Grey actually changes that). But the film, like the pot brownies at the center of its plot (because, of course, that's a major plot point), feels half-baked.

Grade: C+