'Role Play' review: Cuoco, Oyelowo are charming in entertaining action comedy

Kaley Cuoco and David Oyelowo are a delightful couple in Role Play, a film about a man who is thrust into a world he knows nothing about when his wife's real identity is revealed.

Thomas Vincent directs this movie which sees Oyelowo play the bewildered spouse opposite Cuoco who takes on the part of his assassin wife.

Dave and Emma Brackett have been married for seven years and while on a quest to add the much-needed spice to their union, they run into an annoying old chap, Bob (Bill Nighy) who seems to know a lot more than he lets on. This proves to be the precursor to chaos as Emma finds out that a bounty has been placed on her head. 

Not willing to put her husband and kids at risk, Emma disappears to deal with the threat the only way she knows how. Complications set in when Dave gets wind of her activities and decides to go after her. 

Role Play gave off Mr and Mrs Smith vibes and works mainly because of the onscreen chemistry between lead stars Cuoco and Oyelowo. The plot is intriguing but the story itself and the execution leaves a lot to be desired.

There are plotholes that just can't be wished away but if you suspend your disbelief long enough, this movie entertains you for the entirety of its runtime.

Kaley Cuoco and Bill Nighy in ROLE PLAY

I learnt that Cuoco was pregnant when filming this. Kudos to The Flight Attendant star because she gives nothing away, effectively navigating the dual roles of caring wife/mother and ruthless killer. Her character wasn't written to be complex and she does the best with what she is given.

Oyelowo, a talented actor whose works speak for him, is equally magnetic in his fish-out-of-water portrayal here. As the loving husband, he allows his wife to take the lead when they find themselves fighting for their lives in a world of lies and deception.

My major gripe with Role Play is that it suffers from what plagues most action flicks; the absence of an interesting villain.

Connie Nielsen, who is revealed to be the big bad, is your typical stock character. She does a 180-degree spin from mildly mysterious to flat-out stereotypical and just talks in the final confrontation.

Nitpickers will have a field day picking apart this film but those who prefer to just sit back and enjoy wholesome entertainment will get a kick out of it. I know I did.

Rating: 6/10.