Mini-review: How to Lose Friends & Alienate People (2008)

Simon Pegg is obviously scared shitless here.

How to Lose Friends & Alienate People (2008)

Director: Robert B. Weide

Cast: Simon Pegg, Kirsten Dunst, Danny Huston, Gillian Anderson, Megan Fox and Jeff Bridges.

Am I the only one who saw this as a romantic comedy? A good, uproariously funny (in a biting, satirical, Brit way) and fresh romantic comedy? Probably so. Granted the film was the guy version of Devil Wears Prada, the romantic chemistry between Simon and Kirsten was just, just...too good. I was a bit disappointed with the climax, yes, but I'm willing to forgive all that for the sheer genius of the film. Comic timing, for an actor and directing a good comedy film, both of these jobs are extremely hard and here, Pegg and Weide have just created nothing less than magic. This is totally a performance driven film from start to finish, with due respect to the fantastic source material, the memoir of the same name by British journalist Toby Young, who is apparently double the trouble than Simon's character (based on Young) is in this film. Danny Huston delivers in a role tailor-made for him. Kirsten is sincere and almost effortless. Gillian Anderson didn't impress me much, except for the fact that she was looking hot, in a particularly milfy way, very different from her Scully avatar. Megan Fox plays her real self and kudos to her for that. And last but not the least, Jeff Bridges is just otherworldly, I can't find any other way to put it, really.

I wish this film was as noticed and praised as The Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy or Spaced, the TV series. This is indeed, one of Pegg's better works, if not the best.