Review of How to Lose Friends & Alienate People (2008) by Kevin F — 03 Mar 2010

How to Lose Friends and Alienate People is a cliché romantic comedy, but for some reason doesn't feel that cliché. Its actually really funny with a few sweet moments that actually make you care instead of just wishing for them to be over. Simon Pegg, the comic genius from Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, is hilarious as most of you probably thought. He thankfully maintains his sense of humor from the movies he has done with his British buddies. The movie also stars Kirsten Dunst, Jeff Bridges, and Megan Fox.

Pegg's character, Sidney Young who is based off a writer for Vanity Fair, is an absolute jerk. He writes for an unknown British magazine that is based in his apartment. The head of Sharp Magazine, a fictional magazine editor played by Jeff Bridges, hires him to uncover celebrity dirt.

From here, the movie catalogs his welcome to "high society," having him be a jerk to celebrities. One of these celebrities is Megan Fox, who plays Sophie Maes. She is an up and coming actress who is in the biopic of Mother Teresa. The trailer for the movie made me cry from laughing and I thought it should have been at the beginning of Tropic Thunder.

Sidney Young's love interest is Alison Olsen, played by Kirsten Dunst. She works in the same department as Young. She shows him the ropes about how to not piss off their boss and the celebrities.

The movie was surprisingly funny with some sweet parts that keep it going. Pegg is the glue that holds the movie together. His perfect blend of physical comedy and witticism breeds life into this cliché romantic comedy.

Megan Fox, I'm not so sure about. She is either playing a ditz celebrity very well, or she really can't act without Optimus Prime in the movie. Bridges is peppered throughout the movie and somewhat inspires Pegg's character at different points and kicks him in the balls at other points.

The movie proves that Simon Pegg can be funny in a movie made by Americans. Run Fat Boy Run wasn't a good introduction into American films for him. How to Lose Friends lets Pegg be himself and try to not be something that he isn't. He seems to be one of the few funny guys outside of Judd Apatow's group of loyal friends that can either star in a comedy or make a comedy. Although Pegg also has his little band of brothers to make films, this movie shows he can leave the nest and star in a movie on his own.

Dunst shows a tad edgier side to herself, not playing the usual sweet and innocent girl as she does in most movies. Her character actually messes up and Pegg is usually there to pick the pieces up for her. She was also surprisingly funny. I enjoyed her more here than I did in the Spider-Man films as Mary-Jane Watson, where she plays the usual damsel in distress.

Bridges is ok, seemingly channeling his character in from Iron Man, except with more hair. The scenes of "high society" could have been funnier, maybe with the inclusion of actual celebrities instead of fake ones.