How to lose friends and alienate people

How to lose friends and alienate people

Cast : Simon Pegg, Kirsten Dunst, Jeff Bridges, Megan Fox, Danny Huston

Directed by : Robert B. Weide

Review by Zulfi (3.5/5)

            In ‘How to lose friends and alienate people’, Sidney Young (Simon Pegg) arrives on the New York scene after he writes a sarcastic column in his own small movie gossip magazine based in London on the Sharps Magazine’s editor in chief, Clayton Harding (Jeffrey Bridges). Sharps magazine is like the Vatican of celebrity gossip. Though he makes some witty sarcasm on the editor, the latter opens the door for this budding talent.

Sidney Young is a hound of the celebrity parties, where he is generally shooed off as he is on their red alert list (people to look out for and avoid). He joins the overwhelming staff of the Sharps, which has crafty Lawrence Maddox (Danny Huston) as his boss and reserved Allison Olsen (Kirsten Dunst) as his colleague. He incites peevishness from his working neighbours and is a constant bother to them, though he doesn’t do it intentionally. He attends the celebrity parties, which is his lifelong dream and meets bigwigs and even gets infatuated with the new prima donna of Hollywood, Sophie Maes (Megan Fox), but the ticket to be a part of their company is not an easy one. There is a strong component of Hollywood called publicity department, whose main pillar Eleanor Johnson (Gillian Anderson) doesn’t encourage his endeavours. She is aware that Sidney Young is a wayward youngster, who though doesn’t fit in the pomp of Hollywood bandwagon has a way with words. She initially gives him an offer to write an expounding article on the abstract director Vincent La Paque (Max Minghella), which he declines as he feels the man is certainly overrated. Eleanor gets miffed and makes him suffer for it by humiliating him and in his desperation to sleep with Sophie Maes, he agrees to kill his real opinions and writes the columns as per the publicists’ wants. During this, he loves Allison, who is in relationship with Lawrence, which breaks his heart and the sundered hearts cry privately over their trials before things fall back to order.

I don’t know who Toby Young is, on whom the above plot of ‘How to lose friends and alienate people’ is based. But all I can say is he is one hell of a dude if he is what Sidney Young is. People like Sidney are what define Hollywood or any film industry, for that matter. They have a passion for knowing the nuances of onscreen action and researching the work behind the result, which is what matters if you want to be aware about the ins and outs of your passion. He may crave for night parties with the big stars, but what he likes the way the latter spend their lives in contrast to the roles they portray. Sidney young in a scene identifies an old actress from an old TV serial, while she is completely overlooked by the cream of the magazines like Maddox. Sidney Young relives the old nostalgia for her, which makes her teary eyed for this rare appreciation of her wonderful work. But look at the irony, Maddox pitches her name before Harding after Sidney makes him aware of her. In the next party, she easily overlooks him. Though it stings, it is the way of the world. It is these Sidney Youngs, who scout the real talent and applaud the old ones, while they go unrecognized.

HTLFAP also shows the role of publicists in making and breaking of careers. The new age talent is based more on the whims of these manipulative nibbed writers rather than the honest opinion of a real movie critic. They lobby the names, on whom they are at good terms and comfortable with. This generally makes one think about the misdirection the priorities of the whole movie world are taking. This is not only about Hollywood but about global cinema. The survival of the fittest is given a new meaning on silver screen. Ellsworth Toohey of Fountainhead for me is the cruellest villain I had ever seen. He knows the true talent but he pats the wrong ones, who he is on good terms with. This is the basest evil one could possess. I am not complaining that this is what is happening everywhere, but this is where an honest opinion matters the most. Because this is the best thing we could give to the next generation and for development of art.

But critics should also draw a line where they analyze the off-screen issues of the celebrities. Their personal info should be protected and the gossip columnists shouldn’t be too intrusive about the stars’ every move. The real life should only be a comparative study with the onscreen happenings. For example, a director’s working style is what explains the motives in the way he makes his movie. His movie need not be a reflection of his family or personal relationships. Rubbing shoulders with celebrities is a universal dream. But their universe isn’t easy too. They suffer with the risk of their every detail getting printed and live a tough life after the initial rain of stardom. Sidney Young learns it as he finally goes back to his one true love after righting the wrongs he did with Sophie Maes. Harding sighs with pity as he looks at Sidney in a scene. He says he sees himself in him, but he pities the boy for the latter not understanding that there is no treasure at the end of his search. Maddox is that false type, who lives on his charm rather than on his talent, and who has the advantage of owning other’s talent as his own. These are the survivors of the big bad world. Vincent Lapaques are those roads, which mislead the mainstream of talent.

Though I make it sound grim, HTLFAP is such a wonderful comedy, which is made watchable by Simon Pegg, who is simply a relish. His slapstick performance as a misfit in the office scenario is a treat. As Sidney, the reluctant Lord of English peerage and on grim terms with his father, he makes us convince us of his heritage. His chemistry with Kirtsen Dunst is good as the comic timing of the stars in a few scenes incite more than one laugh. Though the movie doesn’t have much of a plot but it bases on the characters of the protagonists, who are the real strength. Danny Huston as the sleazeball boss makes us angry, which is what he is there for. But Jeff Bridges has that lazy, aristocratic charm about him in the way he conducts things in the think room. His first scene with Pegg is my favourite as his body language with a drawling voice and with a gesticulating cigarette in his hand makes him an interesting figure.

‘La dolce Vita’s theme which is the favourite number of Dunst’s Allison infuses romance in one of the improbable pairings I thought I had seen. But this is a movie certainly worth a watch for some witty laughs and a comedic look on the real life of cinema.