Title: How to Lose Friends and Alienate People 

Director: Robert B. Weide
Screenplay: Peter Straughan

Cast: Simon Pegg, Kirsten Dunst, Megan Fox, Jeff Bridges, Gillian Anderson

Genre: Comedy

Runtime: 110 min.

Rated: R

Released: October 3^rd, 2008

Reviewed by: Jaime Oh (Toronto Correspondent – Canada)

I have to admit that I went into the theatre with high expectations, without having read the original book by Toby Young or seeing the movie trailer. I only wanted to watch this because Simon Pegg (Shaun Of The Dead, Hot Fuzz) was in it. This probably sounds incredibly shallow, but those fellow Pegg aficionados will know what I’m talking about because we just want to see this comedic genius in action.

Pegg plays Sidney Young, a Brit obsessed with making it into the world of celebrity. Whilst working as an unsuccessful journalist, he gets a job offer at Sharps, one of the more prestigious magazines in New York after his pig involved, party-crashing-antics catches the attention of the editor Clayton Harding (played by Jeff Bridges). The first thing he does when he arrives at New York is to go clubbing which showcases the the awkward humour it can render. He later unknowingly meets his future co-worker Alison (Kirsten Dunst) at a pub and comes off as a complete jerk.

In fact, everything Sidney ends up doing at Sharps magazine is unsuccessful. The fact that Sidney does not fit into this new environment draws quite a few parallels with the movie, The Devil Wears Prada and there are many predictable plotlines that don’t really contribute to the whole story.

How to Lose Friends and Alienate People left me wanting a bit more from both the characters and the screenplay. Pegg plays Sidney as more of a desperate embarrassment of a loser, sticking to the formula of the hapless yet loveable character, who tries to save the day, based on roles he has written for himself in his other films. Kirsten Dunst, however tends to lighten the screen with her performance as his sensible co-worker Alison, who tries to “find herself” and complete her novel while handling Sidney. 

Megan Fox, who plays the sultry, up and coming starlet Sophie Maes was able to pull off a Marilyn Monroe/Paris Hilton persona needed for seducing Sidney. However, much of the talent of the supporting cast was wasted as their characters tended to be one dimensional it was disappointing to see Gillian Anderson’s character, publicist Eleanor Johnson only making brief appearances. This film has also been noted as a romantic comedy but I really wouldn’t have noticed for the few scenes depicting a so called love interest between Alison and Sidney are almost random.

How to Lose Friends and Alienate People doesn’t have that incredible comedy ala Shaun of the Dead or Hot Fuzz, I’ll admit it still has its moments. There is a memorable scene involving the “almost- female”, stripping in the office of Lawrence Maddox, (an editor played by Danny Huston) as well as a comment Sidney makes at a celebrity party about Con Air being the best movie ever made. If you even stay tuned to the end, there is a hilarious mock trailer for the nun movie Sophie Maes was in, which was probably the best part. Those who are looking for a simple light hearted comedy will enjoy this.