And yet, despite a clever idea at its heart — a serial dater meets a guy who seems too good to be true, a concept Shlesinger mined from her own bad dating experiences — “Good on Paper” can’t quite find its footing, offering insight and sparkle in only fits and starts.
Ideas aren’t the problem here: Shlesinger and Gatewood are full of them, from the wacky-turned-weird romance that frames the film to a smart subplot about trying to make it in the comedy world as a woman .
Shlesinger stars as Andrea, a lightly veiled version of herself in the earlier part of her career — before the Netflix specials, hell, before this Netflix movie — a talented stand-up comedian who can’t quite break through.
Narrative flourishes, including voiceover narration from Shlesinger and quick hits of her stand-up routine, pull focus away from the Dennis drama, turning the film into more of a vehicle for just Shlesinger’s talents, rather than this awkward chapter in her own romantic history.
Shlesinger, however, stays charming throughout, and her attempts to ride all the vagaries of Andrea’s story and character hint at still-untapped performance reserves from the comedian.