Myron Clemons
A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.
Guillelmina
The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.
Jemima
It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.
Cody
One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.
JamalColorado
Hello Ladies is an enjoyable surprise, a simple yet smart comedy with a good range of characters. The plot is uncomplicated and relatively predictable, a single lonely guy looking for the perfect girl. Yet you will still find yourself laughing at, pitying and rooting for the characters. The acting, writing and directing is all solid.There is a good balance among the characters. Stewart (Stephen Merchant) is an awkward nerd type unaware that he is trying to 'punch above his weight'. Jessica (Christine Woods) is a beautiful actress trying to make it big. Wade (Nate Torrence) is a mess, he is trying to save his failing marriage while going through the daily grind. Kives (Kevin Weisman) is a crude, wheelchair-bound ladies man. These are the main characters that are often together as a foursome but they are well supported. I took a particular liking to Glenn (Sean Wing) who is an archetype obnoxious yet hilarious 'player' and Rory (Kyle Mooney) who is essentially Stewart's protégé.The best thing about all the characters and the situations they find themselves in is that they feel real and relatable. Personally, I continually find myself getting into awkward situations and they progress very similarly to this series. These situations are without a doubt the funniest part of the series. A special mention for the writing and the acting. The dialogue is great, there are some witty one liners, a good amount of satire and a few recurring gags my personal favourites being 'chicken wings' & 'what are the rules?'. Among the great humour there is also a lot of smarts showing glimpses of just how lonely and misguided some of the characters really are.I watched Hello Ladies in one sitting and it provided me with the entertainment I wanted and expected. Merchant and Woods are definitely the strongest performers but are well supported on what is an entertaining comedy series that deserves to be picked up for a second season but most likely won't.
daniellouthain
The title says it all. The humor is spot on and very much so in the vein of Merchant's past work. If you can handle cringe humor like Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Office (UK), Peep Show, Todd Margaret, etc. you'l enjoy this. Merchant's character is barely likable for most of the series, but he brings a charm to the role and an earnest naivety that reflects the struggle of a British man from small towns trying to adapt to LA life. The arching plot is very formulaic unfortunately. He chases stunning yet vapid women with whom he has nothing in common while there's the perfect woman for him right under his nose. There are plenty of subplots that make up for this, and there's a nice theme that ties these plot lines together. There were a couple recurring characters that could have been explored more in the first series. Overall it's worth your time if you have it. Don't move it to the top of your list, however.
omart94
I never expected that Stephen Merchant was going to be that good an actor! I've always enjoyed the Stephen Merchant, Ricky Gervias, and Karl Pilkington partnership, yet of the three, the spot light was always on Karl and Ricky. Through watching the Ricky Gervias Show, I came to love the three of them. Ricky the bold, immature yet eerily sophisticated man, Karl the simple bloke who liked to question every thing, and finally Stephen, Ricky's right hand man. There was never much depth into Stephens character. I (being the curious person that I am) couldn't wait to see Stephen make his own show (away from the stand up comedy genre). At the beginning I was a bit skeptical, but then I saw how well Stephen Merchant handled his character. Pritchet is a selfish, arrogant and socially awkward middle aged man who always tries too hard; basically one of the worst people you can ever meet, however somewhere along the series you begin to feel sympathy for him, you see beyond the selfish douche-bag wannabe persona, you see a struggling man who has ambition. You feel sorry for him, but you know he deserves it. You admire him, you loath him. You think you are better than him, and because of that he inspires you. He is in many ways an anti-hero.
Eric-d-hendricks1
I'm having serious trouble with believing anyone can be as big of a tool and as clueless as the main character Stewart. Is the show meant to be complete hyperbole or are we supposed to think that someone out there in the world can truly act as pathetic and exude such blind confidence as Stewart? Or is the show just a brand of British humor that I'll never understand because I'm American? I am familiar with many comedy series on BBC so I hope I have some inkling of the British brand humor across the pond. For as much hype as HBO used in promoting Hello Ladies, I have to say I'm disappointed and annoyed 75% of each episode. I tend to use the fast forward option often in the middle of the episode when the story begins to drag. After reading the article above I'm a tad more educated on the overall approach in the show's writing. Maybe Merchant is as awkward in real life as Stewart in on the show. I would just think that he would have had a friend at one point in his life sit him down and explain a more correct successful way of picking up woman and how to treat people. Everyone has either that nerdy girl in the friend zone that secretly likes you and always points out your flaws or an annoying sibling that just enjoys correcting your behavior so you are not an embarrassment. Hang me out to dry, but I enjoyed the show Luck with Dennis Hoffman and that show was canceled in it's first season and I wasn't the least bit surprised because that show lacked a pace to the progression of the story line as well. HBO viewers have come to expect a certain level of shock and awe in HBO comedy series that fuel the success of Bored to Death and Eastbound and Down. Unfortunately, Hello Ladies just hasn't struck my funny bone yet and I'm no longer making it a point to watch the show. I think I mainly tune in just to see if Stewart has gotten any closer to hooking up with the lousy but sexy actress that lives in his pool house. If it was an underdog story filled with dating faux paus where Stewart is progressing in attempts of landing the hot actress then I would be more entertained. If that plot is actually happening then boy did I miss it!