If there’s a bright shining light to How to Lose Friends and Alienate People it’s star Simon Pegg. As the main character Sydney Young, Pegg is given a good deal of latitude to be, at turns: irritating, entertaining, obnoxious, endearing, clueless and nostalgic.
The movie follows Pegg’s Young from his beginnings as the publisher and head writer for his own British celebrity tabloid through his hiring by an upscale New York-based glossy lifestyle magazine. Young is constantly in search of movie and other stars as he tries to find the tawdry details of their lives, even while seemingly being the only one in any give room that’s willing to call them on their narcissistic worldview.
When he arrives in New York he meets a young woman who, though he doesn’t know it at the time, will wind up being his primary co-worker at the magazine. Their story arc is all too predictable but the game performances by both Pegg and Kirsten Dunst as his comedic and romantic foil make it an enjoyable ride.
Young gets break after break despite antics that should, by any right, get him fired time and time again and eventually seems on the verge of achieving his ultimate goals: The celebrity access he craves as well as the opportunity to have sex with a young up-and-coming actress played by Megan Fox. But when it’s all within his grasp he decides to stay true to himself and not completely compromise his ideals.
How to Lose Friends and Alienate People is an enjoyable movie, even if it is sometimes painful to watch in a way that seems to be unique to British comedies. The pace never really wavers for very long, keeping a light and consistent tempo that mixes comedic and emotional elements very well, something other movies like this don’t often achieve.
The DVD comes loaded with two commentaries, one featuring just director Robert B. Weide and one with Weide and Pegg. There’s also a featurette on the film’s making that features interviews with the principle cast and crew, as well as the man whose true-life book the film is based on. There are also a couple trailers for other Fox Searchlight releases.
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Chris Thilk