Despite genre tropes, this film is quite important

Rating: 6/10 (18 September 2019)

I'll be honest; I can massively relate to Jim's character in this movie. I know too well the paralytic inability to let go of the past and come out of an antisocial shell. Or the guilt felt when turning down invitations due to a lack of motivation, watching friends slowly drift away as a result.
In this sense, Yes Man is a really important film. Carl might be a jerk for the first 20 minutes, but it's impossible to not relate or sympathise with him. He is massively understandable even if we don't approve of his behaviour, and many of us might need to watch this movie as a partial reflection on ourselves. His transformation from no-man to a yes-man is actually quite realistic for a rom-com, and the film sends a very important message about missing out on life and not being stuck in a dark hole. I actually felt a motivation to say yes more often, and surely that's a great achievement when a film stays with me in a profound alway after watching.
My main issue with the film are the tropes. Zooey Deschanel didn't really need to be there, and even then, I would've preferred if they stayed broken up. The comedic "run and get your girl" scenario is so overplayed and cheesy that it sucked out a lot of my enjoyment for the rest of the film. There are ways to portray the consequences of being a 100% yes man that doesn't involve a boring romance. I'd prefer if Carl, despite having had a setback in his love life, could still move forward with a lesson learned instead of "winning the girl". It would be more realistic and also send the message that trying to be positive and open is worth it even when times are tough.
Many American films are scared of having the main character be anything but 100% successful and redeemed. If the number was 80% or so, I would have rated this higher. But still, great message and important for everyone to watch, especially those of us who have a tendency to be 'busy' when out friends call.