Director: Jim Field Smith
Starring: Jay Baruchel, Alice Eve, T J Miller, Mike Vogel, Nate Torrence, Lindsay Sloane, Krysten Ritter
Score: 7.5 / 10
This review by me.
Boy meets hot girl. They get together. Friends and events fill boy with self doubt. They argue. Break up. Boy has an epiphany and the race is on to win the girl back.
A plot we have seen a million times in the world of romantic comedies and in She’ Out of My League you get to see it again. However, it is well worth a watch despite this. Of course, you go to see these films simply because you know what to expect. Half the fun is getting there.
The saving grace of this one are the actors. Each and every one of them is brilliant. Jay Baruchel as eternal loser Kirk nails the part. You know he is the skinny failure with family issues, but he gradually brings out the charm and humour that lies within all nerds. After a while you could see why a girl like Alice Eve’s Molly would go for him. The character of Molly is also well written. She’s not just a pretty face – she has her own business, works hard, is clever and also funny. Good that they didn’t just go with a dizzy blonde type character.
As is so often the case with this kind of film, the two lead characters are the most normal and the best lines and moments are left to the supporting actors and this is no different.
T J Miller, Mike Vogel (both from Cloverfield) and Nate Torrence are Baruchel’s buddies with Miller being the stand out performance of the film. His character of Stainer is a mix of Will Ferrell, Ryan Reynolds and Jason Lee’s Brodie. Plus he is in a Hall and Oates tribute band called Adult Education. Vogel is the good looking buddy who plays the cool factor to great effect and Torrence is the married best friend with a Disney Aladdin fixation. When the four friends are on screen then the laughs just keep on coming. A road movie with the four of them would be splendid.
For those who enjoy are bit of crudeness in their comedy you will not be disappointed although there is not as much rudeness as the trailers make out. There is Kirk’s premature encounter with Captain Pickles and the total straightness of one man shaving another man’s balls and all are a great laugh.
Well worth a watch for all of an age old enough to see such things. There are a few belly laughs throughout the film and I chuckled at the rest. Yes Miss Eve does strip down to her underwear and you will get to see Mr Baruchel’s bum.
Due out in the UK on 4th June 2010.
Thanks to ShowFilmFirst for the tickets.
