Issue date: 10/3/08 Section: Features

Media Credit: Courtesy of MGM [Click to enlarge]

Does Simon Pegg always have to be in zombie movies? I mean Kirsten Dunst cleaned herself up for this one, but she can't hide her bloodshot eyes and her pale skin by pretending that she's human. Unfortunately for her, she is also opposite of Megan Fox, who actually makes the movie bearable with her best Marilyn Monroe-esque performance.

Based on the memoir of Toby Young, "How to Lose Friends & Alienate People" tells the story of a cynical and party-crashing British celebrity reporter, Sidney Young (Pegg). Young takes a position with a powerful New York celebrity magazine which is usually in his crosshairs. Immediately after arriving, Young proudly unleashes his socially inept behavior, especially irritating editor Clayton Harding (Jeff Bridges) and Alison Olsen (Dunst).

Super publicist Eleanor Johnson (Gillian Anderson) joins the fray as the antagonist who forces Young to choose fame, sex and glory, or keep his integrity. She does this by using his lust for starlet Sophie Maes (Fox) to gain control of his writing and further her clients' careers. Of course, it ends up turning into some sort of love story that completely castrates any hope of any actual self-discovery. That's Hollywood for you.

Pegg does a decent job of portraying the guy whose social skills resemble some kind of mental illness. We see him clear off the dance floor at a night club by trying to freak every girl that he sees and later he brings a stripper to work on "Bring Your Daughter to Work Day." I feel like his character had moments where you could see a snippet of depth to only see it lost in a poor attempt to make this a slapstick comedy. There are only so many times we can see somebody fall and be amused.

Anderson does a tremendous job in her role by convincing the audience that she can actually act outside of the "X-Files" world. Although every time her and Dunst appear together, I expected Fox Mulder to jump out from behind the door with porn blaring on his laptop. Never happened, not even once.

P.S. I love you David Duchovny, don't you ever change.

I cannot say enough about Fox. Her character is introduced with a superb display of her acting chops; she crosses a swimming pool, at an upscale party, in a slinky white dress. Later in the film her plump lips proclaim: "Coke makes me horny." This leads to a moral decision for Pegg and disappointment ensues.

Oh yeah, there is also some gratuitous nudity for you. I'm not going to spoil it for you but I guarantee it's not what you think.

Overall, "How to Lose Friends & Alienate People" just tries too hard for cheap laughs by using slapstick action and an extremely predictable storyline. However, the film has all the elements for the "popcorn" fluff that Hollywood seems to feed all those movie junkies. You know the ones who are addicted to spending hard-earned cash for mediocrity. The film is packed with a contrived love story, a quirky Brit and an attempt to provide social commentary on our celebrity obsessions.
Did I mention that Fox is hot?

Gregory Westcott can be reached at gwestcott@statehornet.com

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools