I Give It a Year

I Give It a Year
Company type	Film
Industry	Film industry
Founded	2013
Founder	Dan Mazer (director)
Headquarters	London, United Kingdom
Products	Romantic comedy film

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article I Give It a Year, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 10 August 2025

I Give It a Year is a 2013 British romantic comedy that marks the feature film directorial debut of Dan Mazer. The cast includes Rose Byrne, Rafe Spall, Anna Faris, and Simon Baker. Filmed and set in London, the movie premiered on 8 February 2013. Prior to directing, Mazer co-wrote the acclaimed Sacha Baron Cohen comedies Borat and Brüno.

Plot

Nat, an ambitious advertising executive, and Josh, a writer facing career difficulties, fall for each other instantly and become engaged after seven months. Their initial year as a married couple is fraught with challenges, depicted through flashbacks alongside scenes from their marriage counseling sessions.

Although their friends express skepticism and the wedding includes some awkward moments—such as an embarrassing speech by the best man—the ceremony itself goes off without major issues. Following their honeymoon, Nat returns to her job where she is tasked with preparing a presentation for Guy, an American entrepreneur rebranding his solvent company. To win Guy’s business, Nat is advised by colleagues to keep her marital status under wraps.

Tensions escalate when Nat and Josh host a dinner that exposes their conflicting views on their Moroccan honeymoon. Nat discovers that Josh’s ex-girlfriend Chloe never officially ended their relationship before leaving for Africa for four years. Meanwhile, Josh’s best man Danny unsuccessfully attempts to rekindle things with Chloe.

During the Christmas work party, Nat tries to flirt with Guy while discouraging Josh from attending; however, he comes anyway and repeatedly embarrasses her. Later, Josh provides comfort to Chloe amid her personal struggles, culminating in a kiss between them.

Nat admits to Guy that although she values stability in her marriage, she feels attracted to him. A double date involving Josh and Chloe reveals jealousy simmering beneath the surface of all four participants. Chloe confesses lingering feelings for Josh but decides to end contact.

Nat and Guy share a passionate kiss; she even encourages him to help remove her bra when it becomes stuck—a bra that happens to be the same one Chloe wore when she kissed Josh.

Recognizing problems in their union, Nat and Josh attend therapy sessions and agree to continue trying for three more months despite ongoing unhappiness.

On their first anniversary, Josh abruptly leaves after spotting Guy with Chloe. At a surprise party later that evening, he tells Nat she is perfect but not right for him and requests a divorce, which she accepts gladly.

Josh declares his love for Chloe as they prepare for a trip to Paris with Guy. After a brief conversation, Chloe and Guy amicably part ways; subsequently, Nat kisses Guy while Chloe shares a kiss with Josh.

Cast

Rose Byrne as Nat Redfern
Rafe Spall as Josh Moss
Anna Faris as Chloe
Simon Baker as Guy Harrap
Stephen Merchant as Danny
Minnie Driver as Naomi
Jason Flemyng as Hugh
Olivia Colman as Linda
Jane Asher as Diana
Nigel Planer as Brian
Clare Higgins as Elaine
Sue Wallace as Janet
Daisy Haggard as Helen

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 51% approval rating based on 82 reviews with an average score of 5.5/10, described as "disarmingly frank—and often quite funny" despite lacking originality. According to Metacritic, it has a score of 50% from 23 critics, reflecting "mixed or average reviews."

Peter Keough of The Boston Globe noted Mazer’s ambition but felt he had yet to fully integrate comedy of manners with more unrestrained humor. Stephanie Merry from The Washington Post criticized the movie for masking cynicism behind comedic elements.

Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian gave it 3 out of 5 stars, calling it amusing and believable with influences from contemporary bad taste but limited by typical romantic comedy formulas that restrict its comedic pessimism. Olly Richards of Empire commended the sharp humor and strong performances but found the emotional resonance lacking.

Box office

The movie accumulated a total of $34,657 domestically, debuting with $5,436 and securing the #77 spot. Globally, it achieved a gross revenue of $28,234,657.

Home media

I Give It a Year became available on DVD and Blu-ray starting June 3, 2013.

External links

I Give It a Year Soundtrack