"How to Lose Friends and Alienate People" is a strikingly clever movie title; not only because of its length but also because it manages to be somewhat ironic. The funny and friendly movie certainly doesn't alienate the audience but draws them into a big, warm bear hug of romantic humor.
Sidney Young (Simon Pegg), a British tabloid editor, keeps messing up in life. Sidney's life revolves around pulling off ridiculous stunts to get into what he calls celebrity Shangri-la. When a stunt goes a little too far, he gets noticed by the editor of Sharps Magazine, Clayton Harding (Jeff Bridges), and is invited for a position at the large New York publication. Upon arriving to his dream job, Sidney continues to botch things by valuing his integrity as a writer over the fluff that would make him famous. When he meets fellow reporter Alison Olsen (Kirsten Dunst), the two go from being initial rivals to being in love.
The plot is cliché, but it comes off in a remarkably likable and honest way. Based loosely on the real-life Sidney, Toby Young, the movie manages to filter in a lot of the autobiography's frank, uncompromising nature. Young helped with the screenplay and champions the feat of achieving the things he wants out of life without compromising his beliefs. The movie is injected with a strong core of non-preachy and unpretentious morals, rendering it not completely shallow.
It's also pretty funny - a rarity in present romantic comedies, and Pegg's snarky decorum delivers that humor spot on. The movie is filled with that beloved Ricky Gervais-style humor and puts most of the burden on Sidney's self-assurance to deliver the laughs. His ability to bounce back from each ridiculous situation makes him incredibly fun to watch.
This movie is one I recommend to watch on a date. Light and easily digestible, it goes down well with anyone and won't bore you or your date to death. It's versatile in its likability and shouldn't be cast aside just because it's kind of cliché.
David Stuzin is a freshman majoring in journalism.
