Like a Boss

Mel and Mia put their friendship ahead of everything, including the exclusively sexual relationships they have with the men in their lives, but that, too, is overdone. Mia prides herself on the fact that they’re behaving like men. Sadly, they’re the kind of men they themselves wouldn’t like.

I had to check it hadn't actually being helmed by the current Arsenal football boss – Mikel Arteta.

Its inconsistent, half-baked characterisations would be more forgivable were they at least in the service of some inspired comedy.

In its tone-deaf crassness, Like a Boss struggles mightily to make the most of its R-rating, but the characters' dialogue and antics tend to be more awkward than shocking.

What we have here is a comedy on life support, with Haddish and Byrne valiantly performing futile acts of resuscitation. Sorry to report: The patient died.

It's a bummer to see all this talent so badly abused.

Nothing in the script is remotely surprising or very funny, though nothing is horrendous, either.

Quite funny for much of its running time, the film feels like it simply runs out of steam in its third act, settling for a lazy, pandering resolution and seeming happy to have made it to the 83-minute finish line.

Haddish's well-honed brashness, Byrne's depiction of self-doubt, and Arteta's skill at getting the best from his cast conceal the blemishes and give "Like a Boss" a nice shine.