Movie Review: 'Good on Paper' A Funny Showcase for Comedian Iliza Schlesinger

Comedian Iliza Schlesinger is a comedian’s comedian. She’s beloved among her comedy peers and that eventually led to fans finding her via her very funny Netflix specials. Now, Iliza Schlesinger is setting out on the acting track hoping that her stand up act will translate into movie stardom. The first step is a brand new Netflix comedy called Good on Paper. The romantic comedy, of sorts, co-stars Ryan Hanson (Veronica Mars), as a ‘nice guy’ who cajoles Schlesinger’s Andrea into a relationship that is filled with deceit of varying degrees.

Andrea (Schlesinger) is doing great as a stand up comic but is seeking a bigger, more stable form of success. She’s working on becoming a regular on a TV show. It’s following another failed audition when Andrea meets Dennis (Hanson). Dennis is a bit of a nerd with wire rimmed glasses and an unfortunate haircut but he’s also really nice and seems to always say the right thing. Iliza isn’t attracted to him but she enjoys his harmless charm.

Andrea and Dennis become friends and spend a lot of time together. Eventually, Dennis comes clean and states his intentions, he wants Andrea to be his girlfriend. She’s… not into it. Sure, Dennis is sweet and kind and reliable but he’s not for her, he's a friend. Then, after Dennis comes to her crying and explains that his beloved mother is dying, Andrea takes pity on him. After a night of drugs and drinking, the two end up in bed and Andrea settles for being with Dennis.

That’s when things really start to get weird. Slowly but surely, cracks start forming in Dennis’s nice guy veneer. Iliza’s best friend, Margot (Margaret Cho), has been keeping a running tally of the claims Dennis has made that he hasn’t followed through on. He claims to have a house in Beverly Hills but Andrea’s never seen it. He claims to be staying in an apartment temporarily but when Andrea and Margot pull a surprise drop in, they find him living with two women. That’s odd as Dennis claims to be a successful stock advisor, why does he need roommates?

Things aren’t adding up about this supposed ‘nice guy’ and when things come to a head, you won’t be able to predict where this story is headed. Good on Paper was written by star Iliza Schlesinger and is actually based on a true story, for the most part. Schlesinger really did meet a ‘nice guy,’ they did become friends and, after he claimed his mother had cancer, they did become a couple. She also then found out he was not all that he appeared to be and that’s where Good on Paper came from.

As presented, the true story doesn’t quite have the zing of one of Schlesinger’s stand up specials but it is solid. Schlesinger herself does well to hold the screen. Schlesinger has presence and charisma and, naturally, she’s very funny. The film smartly employs Schlesinger’s stand up work and each time she’s on stage, in very short transitional scenes, she’s very funny. I bought into her as a lead and I was with her throughout the story.

That said, the weak point of Good on Paper is co-star Ryan Hanson. Having made his bones in the business playing good looking Dude-Bros, Hanson is not easy to buy as a dork. Just putting wire rimmed glasses and a bad haircut on a good looking guy doesn’t make him a nerd and Hanson is not convincing as a guy who has so much trouble meeting women. The role calls for an actor who is vaguely handsome with a needy quality that is both off-putting and mildly sympathetic. This is not Ryan Hanson’s strong suit.

I put the words 'nice guy' in quotations because the movie seemingly puts 'nice guy' in quotations. Good on Paper is smart about presenting the prototypical nice guy who feels entitled to a relationship to the point that that entitlement justifies their behavior, lying, manipulating, trolling, and so on. Men's rights advocates and Incels alike share this toxic notion that being 'nice' should be rewarded with sex and Good on Paper is smart about popping that particular bubble of illogic. It might pack a bigger punch with a more convincing male lead but the movie is still strong in this aspect of storytelling and comedy.

That said, Schlesinger is so compelling, funny, and charming that the flaws of the storytelling don’t completely sink Good on Paper. I especially enjoyed how Schlesinger and director Kimmy Gatewood consistently keep you guessing as to where this story is going. The unpredictable nature of this story is a great strength in the movie as are the supporting performances by Margaret Cho as Schlesinger’s ride or die best friend and Rebecca Rittenhouse as Serrena, Andrea’s shallow acting rival who gets all the best roles.

Both Cho and Rittenhouse craft well-rounded characters in a limited amount of screen time and it is a testament to their talent that they can be so indelible while never pulling focus from Schlesinger and the story being told. Good on Paper is at its best when leaning on Schlesinger and these two terrific supporting characters. A stronger performance in the male lead might have made Good on Paper better but as it is, Good on Paper is a solid enough showcase for the talent of Iliza Schlesinger that I do recommend you check it out.

Good on Paper is available now on Netflix.