Average Rating: 5/10
Reviews Counted: 108
Fresh: 40 | Rotten: 68
A decent performance from Pegg in a disappointing film. Neither sharp nor satirical, Weide's adaptation relies too heavily on slapstick, and misses the point of the source material in the process.
Average Rating: 4.3/10
Critic Reviews: 26
Fresh: 6 | Rotten: 20
A decent performance from Pegg in a disappointing film. Neither sharp nor satirical, Weide's adaptation relies too heavily on slapstick, and misses the point of the source material in the process.
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Average Rating: 3.1/5
User Ratings: 47,035
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Frequent Curb Your Enthusiasm director Robert B. Weide makes his feature directorial debut with this screen adaptation of British writer Toby Young's comedic novel of the same name. When self-promoting scribe Sidney Young (Simon Pegg) accepts a position as a contributing editor for iconic fashion magazine "Sharps," his subsequent attempts to ingratiate himself with both his egotistical boss, Clayton Harding, and the superficial celebrities who populate the pages of the magazine prove
May 15, 2008 Wide
Feb 17, 2009
$2.5M
MGM
All Critics (114) | Top Critics (26) | Fresh (42) | Rotten (70) | DVD (13)
Where the movie succeeds is in its sudden right turns, its willingness to kill a dog, always a bold choice, and its consistent emphasis of the comedy over the romance.
Just because you are supposed to laugh doesn't mean you are going to laugh.
It plays like a made-for-CBS redo of The Devil Wears Prada.
What was good enough for the printed page -- a comic chronicle of our obsession with the shallow -- has been turned into the object of its own derision.
Instead of skewering self-important stars and vapid journalists, Friends gets muddled in slapstick and crude humor.
It seems Weide and Pegg were determined to make good on their title How to Lose Friends& Alienate People. You can sum up their results in two words: mission accomplished.
droseri, ana diastimata asteia, alla en genei filodoksi apopeira aythadeias me eynoyhismenes eilikrineis protheseis kai bretaniko flegma kommeno stis akres gia na horesei se amerikaniko kaloypi romenti, opoy niotheis synehos na leipoyn pragmata
A scandal sheet satire that wears its antisocial tendencies on its sleeve, the movie takes aim at the inane gossip rag media world. But more often than not avoids punishment to fit the tabloid grime, that calls for more caustic rather than giddy strokes.
Pegg is one of those actors about whom I can say things like, 'He's so funny, I would listen to him reading from the phone book,' and mean it.
There are two full-length commentaries: an informative solo one by director Robert Weide and a higher energy, conversational and funny one by Weide and star Simon Pegg.
The makings of an uncompromising, razor sharp satire were gathered together here. That the resulting movie slips off track as much as it does is particularly disappointing.
A fun movie worth checking out.
... slickly constructed and frequently funny.
I'm told that several of these characters are easily recognisable to insiders, but outside that small coterie there's still a great deal to enjoy about Sidney's fish-out-of-water exploits.
I feel I've seen a bit too much of Pegg in some not very funny films recently, but his fish out of water works well.
No bad thing, really, but a fair distance from the barbed humour of Young's book.
While Pegg has a good stab at lending the film some of his trademark knockabout charm, the film is as artless and difficult to warm to as its leading man.
All of the cast perform very well and althought it doesn't keep it's promise it's still a fun light hearted movie with a witty script mixed with relaxed humour that's not too over the edge. Doesn't feel much like a Pegg movie to be honest.
November 9, 2011
Super Reviewer
I'm not sure I understand why this film gets no love. Simon Pegg took the gig, sure, but this isn't one of his own, so it shouldn't be held to the same standard. I thought it was really funny - lots of slapstick, fish-out-of-water stuff, and critical enough of the socially mobile and the celebutante culture alike.
June 2, 2009Super Reviewer
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