Movie Review: She's Out Of My League (2010)

A brash attempt at combining the overt boorishness of gross-out farces with the more dainty elements of romantic comedies fails on all counts. She's Out Of My League is rarely funny, never romantic, and always aggravating.

Twentysomething Kirk (Jay Baruchel) and his buddies work at a Pittsburgh Airport security screening station. Kirk is geeky, angular, and has been comprehensively dumped by Marnie (Lindsay Sloane). In fact, Kirk is such a doormat that Marnie and her new boyfriend Roy are good friends with Kirk's parents, and rub their relationship in Kirk's face at every opportunity in his own home.

Molly (Alice Eve) is a stunning blonde with supermodel looks. She catches Kirk's eye as she passes through airport security, and because she is bored with good looking but plastic guys, he also catches her attention. They start a relationship, despite the attempted intervention of Molly's former boyfriend Cam (Geoff Stults) and the suddenly insanely jealous Marnie. But the biggest hurdle that Kirk needs to overcome is gaining belief that a dolt like him is worthy of a gorgeous girlfriend.

The humour in She's Out Of My League is crass and predictable, the romance uneven and never the least bit believable. Jay Baruchel may have some comic talent but it is not yet sufficiently developed to save a limp script. Alice Eve does not even try to find any meaning in a dream doll role that only exists in the imagination of unimaginative screenwriters. The supporting cast works hard to ensure obscurity by mimicking overly familiar characters from numerous better movies, while Kirk's white trash family seal the deal on eliminating all potential for clever or understated humour.

This is the first feature length film directed by Britain's Jim Field Smith, and unless he quickly graduates to better material, it could also be among his last. Molly may be several leagues above Kirk, but this cast and crew are also several leagues below the level required for good movie making.

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