How to Lose Friends & Alienate People (2008)

Number Rolled: 94

Movie Name/Year: How to Lose Friends & Alienate People (2008)

Genre: Comedy

Length: 109 minutes

Rating: R

Director: Robert B. Weide

Writer: Peter Straughan, Toby Young

Actors: Kelan Pannell, Simon Pegg, Megan Fox, Gillian Anderson, Katherine Parkinson, Jeff Bridges, Miriam Margolyes, Kirsten Dunst, Sam Douglas, Danny Huston, Margo Stilley, Hannah Waddingham, Diana Kent, Max Minghella, Jefferson Mays, Ashley Madekwe, Jane Perry, Andy Lucas, Richard Young

Sidney Young has started his own tabloid-like magazine. The problem is, he can’t get into any parties in order to get the news on celebrities. After a particularly bad incident, he’s called up by the owner of a much more well-known publication and offered a job.

I’m a huge fan of Simon Pegg, but this is a rare miss for him. I can’t really blame him for the story or script, since he wasn’t involved in the writing or directing, but even as an actor he completely disappointed me. I’m almost angry at him for it, too. I’ve gotten used to him in movies like “Shaun of the Dead” and “Hot Fuzz,” where he shows that he has it in him to rise to comedic heights yet unreached by other actors.

To be honest, I don’t blame the author of the book it was based on, either. The book goes into the corruption of celebrities and has an ironic tone on the way ‘fame’ affects people. I believe the script writer butchered the main idea of the novel and cheapened its meaning in a way that is completely unforgivable. The warping of the story would have been equivalent to making Harry Potter about a wizard boy whose one goal in life is to find a wife, not defeat Voldemort.

I went into this movie excited and looking forward to an awesome, ironic, comedy. What I got is the wonderfully sardonic Simon Pegg stuck looking like he picked the perfect roll to play. Unfortunately, you’ll only get that bite it you watch the film.

Netflix’s Prediction for Me – 3.2/5

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 36%

Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 43%

Trust-the-Dice Score – 1.5/5

P.S. This movie is based on a book of the same name by Toby Young.

Movie Trailer: