Simon Pegg has been on the verge of bona fide national celebrity for a while now, but probably is still only recognizable as “that funny British guy from Mission Impossible 3” or maybe from Shaun of the Dead. I mean, did you see Run Fat Boy Run? Exactly.
He’s taking another stab at comedic leading man status with How to Lose Friends and Alienate People, based on Toby Young’s memoir about his accidental rise into the glamorous world of New York City celebrities. The movie comes out in October, and while there doesn’t seem to be a U.S. trailer yet, the U.K. version is now available over at the Paramount website.
Based on the trailer it’s really hard to get an idea of what the plot’s all about. It starts off as kind of a Devil Wears Prada situation, with an inexperienced guy getting hired by the intimidating head of a fancy magazine (in this case it’s Jeff Bridges, who seems to be on a villain kick lately). We see him at a lot of fancy parties doing a lot of idiotic things, and Kirsten Dunst is in the mix somehow, as a colleague trying to keep him in line while probably also romancing him. (That seems to be all Kirsten Dunst is good for in movies these days).
Basically, the trailer is kind of a mixed bag, with a big emphasis on physical comedy and no real indication if the story is any good. Simon Pegg is appealing no matter what, but as Run Fat Boy Run proved, even he can’t rescue a comedy that doesn’t have a decent screenplay. If you like pratfalls, though (and I do), you’ll find plenty to laugh at in this trailer. Let’s just hope that carries over into the actual movie.
http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Trailer-For-How-To-Lose-Friends-And-Alienate-People-8808.html
