How to Lose Friends and Alienate People

Rating:

* * *

Verdict:

A diluted version of the book not as clever or sharp as it could have been.

There have been plenty of documented cases of reputable writers and journalists falling from grace - Stephen Glass and James Frey, for example.

But what's so refreshingly delightful about this tale is our protagonist's fall from grace isn't due to twisting the truth or plagiarism, but his inability to behave appropriately around celebrities.

How to Lose Friends and Alienate People

is loosely based on the caustic and self-mocking memoir written by British journalist Toby Young about his experience working for

Vanity Fair

in New York in the mid-90s.

Young, called "Sidney' Young in the film, is played by English comedian Simon Pegg (

Run Fatboy Run

), who does a good job appearing as out of sorts in this mainstream comedy as his character must have in the world of glitzy magazines.

By his own admission, Young managed to behave appallingly badly during his time at

Vanity Fair

, yet Pegg has to be given some credit for  making this tosser actually vaguely likeable.

The son of a prominent philosopher and author, Young runs an alternative celebrity-driven magazine: the

Post Modern Review

. After writing a scathing piece on editor Clayton Harding (Jeff Bridges), Harding surprisingly offers Young a job at his sophisticated New York-based

Sharps

magazine. With the

Post Modern Review

not doing so well, Young jumps at the chance.

Turning up in New York wearing a T-shirt with the quote "Young, Dumb and Full of Cum' on the front, it's obvious Young isn't going to fit in to this sophisticated, structured and etiquette-driven magazine world. Young blunders his way through the first few months at the mag, managing to only just keep his job thanks to the help of fellow disillusioned writer Alison Olsen (Dunst).

Refusing to play by the rules which see Sharp's staff sucking up to the hottest celebrities and their icy PR managers, and sashaying around Manhattan's superficial social scene, Young is shunned by most of the people around him thanks to his ability to offend and confuse people with his blundering behaviour. That is until the day he decides to start playing the game.

The film amplifies the comedic side of Young's rise and fall, laying on the slapstick in a desperate attempt to get laughs. There are some very funny lines thanks to Young's sharp, blunt and honest English wit - however, this film isn't, unfortunately, the biting satire it could have been.

Francesca Rudkin

Cast:

Simon Pegg, Kirsten Dunst, Jeff Bridges, Gillian Anderson, Megan Fox

Director:

Robert B. Weide

Running Time:

111 mins

Rating:

M (Offensive Language & Nudity)

Screening:

SkyCity, Berkeley and Hoyts Cinemas