While the story has been seen and done before, the formulaic structuring and over-predictability can more easily be forgiven thanks to an intriguing perspective and an enthusiastic performance from Simon Pegg. Though we may never know where he’s going and how he’ll turn up, his determined attitude fused with a daft sense of humor makes for an altogether pleasing progression.

Based on the reckless real-life career of Toby Young, How to Lose Friends and Alienate People follows his tumultuous relationships with coworkers and the celebrities he despises. Sidney Young (Simon Pegg) is an arrogant, impudent, sarcastic, rude, and loathsome journalist itching to stir things up. When he’s offered a job to write for a reputable, upscale magazine, his carefree attitude and opposite viewpoint on celebrity diplomacy begins to alienate and aggravate those around him. When he realizes his audacious methods are jeopardizing his chances at advancement, both in his career and with the coworker he’s fallen for (Kirsten Dunst), he must decide whether or not to follow his heart or submit to the unforgiving conformity of the system.

How to Lose Friends and Alienate People has a similar storyline and vibe to Mike Nichol’s Working Girl - from a male perspective - but unfortunately much less charm. The realism of lead actor Simon Pegg’s character is stilted due to the lack of an assumed disadvantage in a male dominated corporate environment – he instead chooses to be flamboyant and vexatious, which doesn’t emit individuality so much as stupidity. While Pegg is a likeable actor and carries the sarcastic humor in the film with enthusiasm, his costars exude a wooden stodginess that may emphasize his fish-out-of-water status, but also dulls the garden-variety plot.

Jeff Bridges plays a character that is comparable to Robert Loggia’s MacMillan from “Big.” Both recognize a nostalgic rebellious youth in their unlikely employees, but only MacMillan handles the situation as a father figure, mentor and professional. Bridges’ Clayton Harding acknowledges the impudence of the unrestrained Sidney, but chooses to abandon his sense of reason – well beyond what we could imagine even an altruistic softy to be capable of.

The story starts at the end, goes back to the beginning to explain the characters, and then arrives at the end once again. This formula seems to work for countless storylines, and so it continues to be utilized by dozens of contemporary films. The problem is that the method feels repetitive and doesn’t help create singularity for a film that also has generic supporting characters and an all-too familiar plot. Repetition is the ultimate enemy, and How to Lose Friends and Alienate People can’t quite launch itself into a presentation original enough to stand out. Truth may be stranger than fiction, but it’s too bad it couldn’t be more refreshing.

- The Massie Twins

Read the Exclusive Interview with Simon Pegg HERE.

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