She's Out Of My League ( 2010 )

Starring: Jay Baruchel, Alice Eve, T.J. Miller, Mike Vogel, & Nate Torrence

Directed By Jim Field Smith


http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0815236/


"She's Out of My League" is a comedy filled with lies.

If this weaksauce ripoff of "There's Something About Mary" had actually managed to be funny, I'd forgive its many falsehoods. But as with the recent rom-coms "I Love You, Beth Cooper" and "Splinterheads," the filmmaker's flop-sweat is the audience's water torture. So let's focus on the deceit.

But first: The movie introduces us to a no-ambition weenie in Pittsburgh named Kirk (played by Jay Baruchel, a good actor who's done vastly better variations on this character in projects inlcuding Judd Apatow's "Undeclared"). Kirk works security at the least-secure airport in movie history. Everyone tells him he's "funny," but the evidence onscreen suggests he's actually "dithering."

Then, for reasons barely explained (a fetish for the unactualized, perhaps?), a blandly hot event planner (Alice Eve) starts asking Kirk on dates.

Cue wacky free-swearing best friends, based on the wacky free-swearing best friends in better movies (including the wacky free-swearing best friend played by Baruchel in "Knocked Up"). Cue endless discussions of what it means when a "five" hooks up with a "ten" that play like the screenwriters have experienced the company of women largely in theory. Cue sexual mortification, endless whining, grand gestures and nutty climactic chases -- all of it generating an almost overpowering audience urge to reach into the screen, smack Kirk about the pate and yell, "For the love of God, you sad-sack, do something worthy of this woman's interest for ten blessed seconds!"

Now: Contained within this scenario are the following untruths, which (again) would be somewhat pardonable if they were explored in a way that made me laugh:

1. Blandly hot women will see "who you really are inside" -- even if you make no effort to exhibit appeal or personality.

2. Blandly hot women exist as projections of your personal ideals and should be placed on pedestals for worship. (Except when you get angry, at which point they should be knocked off.) Also, these women will blithely ignore every offensive, unfunny thing said around them if it doesn't serve the narrative.

3. All relationship problems can be solved with a single big speech or grand gesture by the dweeb -- especially if it's bookended by a crazy chase through, say, an airport.

4. Sex is primarily a vehicle for fear and embarrassment.

5. Your friends will happily shave you anywhere.

6. Audiences don't need to see the actual conversations that build relationships and make them vaguely comprehensible. These conversations are difficult to write, and are best dispensed of in wordless montages.

All that said, T. J. Miller and Krysten Ritter are somewhat amusing in their underwritten roles as Diet Jason Lee and Diet Zooey Deschanel. Otherwise, the movie stinks. Its gormless, assertion-free protagonist offends as a role model for idiot youths, and, even worse, offends as drama. Instead, I'd suggest renting the original "There's Something About Mary" or -- even better -- renting "(500) Days of Summer," which gleefully shoves a few dynamite sticks under the very myths "Out of My League" embraces.

( * * )

Mr. What?

Last Chance Harvey (2008)

Director: Joel Hopkins
Starring: Dustin Hoffman & Emma Thompson
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1046947/

Dustin Hoffman travels to London for his daughters wedding. While in London he meets a woman and has a new chance for romance in his life. This is the basic plot. While not an amazing movie, this does have it's moments. It's pretty slow at first but picks up by the end. This is geared towards an older audience than most of the Hollywood fare. Not the kind of movie I like to go to a theater to see, but definitely something I'd want to curl up on the couch and watch. I give it 3 *'s.

- Al B. Damned