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How to Lose Friends & Alienate People (2008)

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Top Critics

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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Movie Info

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

R, 1 hr. 50 min.

Comedy

Directed By: Robert B. Weide

Written By: Peter Straughan

In Theaters: May 15, 2008 Wide

On DVD: Feb 17, 2009

Box Office:$2.5M

MGM

How to Lose Friends & Alienate People Trailer & Photos

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Cast

Simon Pegg
Sidney Young
Kirsten Dunst
Alison Olsen
Jeff Bridges
Clayton Harding
Danny Huston
Lawrence Maddox
Gillian Anderson
Eleanor Johnson
Megan Fox
Sophie Maes
Max Minghella
Vincent Lepak
Miriam Margolyes
Mrs. Kowalski
Bill Paterson
Richard Young
Diana Kent
Rachel Petkoff

Critic Reviews for How to Lose Friends & Alienate People

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.

November 7, 2008 Full Review Source: At the Movies

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Ben Mankiewicz

At the Movies

Top Critic

Just because you are supposed to laugh doesn't mean you are going to laugh.

November 7, 2008 Full Review Source: At the Movies

| Comment

Ben Lyons

At the Movies

Top Critic

It plays like a made-for-CBS redo of The Devil Wears Prada.

October 3, 2008 Full Review Source: Village Voice

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Robert Wilonsky

Village Voice

Top Critic

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.

October 3, 2008 Full Review Source: Washington Post

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Michael O'Sullivan

Washington Post

Top Critic

Instead of skewering self-important stars and vapid journalists, Friends gets muddled in slapstick and crude humor.

October 3, 2008 Full Review Source: USA Today

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Scott Bowles

USA Today

Top Critic

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.

October 3, 2008 Full Review Source: Toronto Star

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Peter Howell

Toronto Star

Top Critic

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

March 22, 2009 Full Review Source: Movies for the Masses

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Joseph Proimakis

Movies for the Masses

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.

February 27, 2009 Full Review Source: NewsBlaze

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Prairie Miller

NewsBlaze

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.

February 25, 2009 Full Review Source: Flick Filosopher

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MaryAnn Johanson

Flick Filosopher

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.

February 12, 2009 Full Review Source: Apollo Guide

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Brian Webster

Apollo Guide

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.

February 12, 2009 Full Review Source: Apollo Guide

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Brian Webster

Apollo Guide

A fun movie worth checking out.

November 20, 2008 Full Review Source: Hollywood.com

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Pete Hammond

Hollywood.com

... slickly constructed and frequently funny.

November 12, 2008 Comment

Andy Klein

Los Angeles CityBeat Source: Los Angeles CityBeat

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.

October 31, 2008 Full Review Source: The Australian

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David Stratton

The Australian

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.

October 24, 2008 Full Review Source: MovieTime, ABC Radio National

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Jason Di Rosso

MovieTime, ABC Radio National

No bad thing, really, but a fair distance from the barbed humour of Young's book.

October 24, 2008 Full Review Source: FILMINK (Australia)

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Jarrod Walker

FILMINK (Australia)

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.

October 24, 2008 Full Review Source: Daily Telegraph (Australia)

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Vicky Roach

Daily Telegraph (Australia)

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Audience Reviews for How to Lose Friends & Alienate People

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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

Directors Cat

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, 2009