No, it's not an autobiography. Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz) stars in this odd rom-com. Sidney Young (Pegg), snarky journalist, is given the opportunity of a lifetime when hired on at the glossy mag known as Sharpe's. Editor Clayton Harding (Jeff Bridges) is Young's idol, but much to his disappointment, Harding is a sell-out. A series of missteps, in both his business and personal life soon has Young drawn into a real relationship with a co-worker, Allison (Kirsten Dunst) and a celebrity one with Sophie Maes (Megan Fox).
As a fan of Simon Pegg, seeing this one was inevitable. Watching him chart his rise from obscure comedy to legitimate actor has been fun, if strange. How to Lose Friends and Alienate People suffers from a myriad of challenges, but still manages to be weirdly entertaining.
At the heart of the film is Pegg's, Simon Young--an odd little man. Young suffers from uneven character development--they all do, but thanks to Pegg's eagerness, Young comes off harmlessly strange. Jeff Bridges, Dunst, Fox, and {surprise!} Gillian Anderson all provide good performances, but the writers just didn't give anyone enough to really work with.
In all fairness, I don't know how to describe this one. It's not particularly funny; it's simple charming. Pegg makes it tolerable despite jokes that fall flat and Bridges' crazy hair. As I see it, How to Lose Friends and Alienate People tries to be a Devil Wears Prada story arc and fails miserably. But if you fall into the Simon Pegg fan base, you'll get a laugh or two.
Monday, February 23, 2009
How to Lose Friends and Alienate People (2008)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Pretty solid review. I sorta enjoyed it.
Hey, I'm right there with you. The chemistry between Dunst and Pegg was oddly captivating. Did you put the whole 'White Russian' thing together?
Post a Comment