Critic Reviews

Containing razor-sharp witticisms about feminine intuition, gendered sexual politics and relationships (both platonic and romantic), it excels beyond its self-deprecating title.

Good on Paper sometimes gets silly, sometimes serious, but it never waivers from its mission of being funny through it all.

The sometimes hilarious Good on Paper is actually an anti-romantic comedy.

A witty tale of deceit and betrayal, it’s an uncomfortable look at the values we tend to buy into and why.

If you’re seeking anything chewier about the pitfalls of modern dating, or con artistry in the age of social-media enabling, or what women want — from careers to friends, life, love — look elsewhere, pilgrim. But when Shlesinger opens the passenger door to her star vehicle and turns it to into a full-blown buddy comedy, the movie goes from being merely good on paper to being great onscreen.

Instead of translating a real-life experience into something enjoyably madcap, Good On Paper more often than not feels like a friend recounting every detail of a story that’s less interesting than they think it is.

Good on Paper can’t quite find its footing, offering insight and sparkle in only fits and starts.

The film is self-aware enough to understand that it shouldn’t be trying to reinvent the wheel, and the result is a perfectly serviceable and sometimes genuinely funny rom-com bolstered by a few standout supporting roles and the strength of its premise.

It all goes off the rails in the worst way in the chaotic final act, as Schlesinger invents a farcical, and increasingly ludicrous, way to wrap things up, the truth of what happened proving far too pedestrian for the framework she’s created.

Margaret Cho goes over the top in the new Netflix comedy Good on Paper, mugging and delivering lines too emphatically. But as the movie progresses, you see the San Francisco native’s approach not as overacting, but heroism. She appears to be trying to single-handedly breathe life into this nearly laugh-free movie.