Ya know what?
When I walked outta the theater after seeing "Loser," I swore
that I knew exactly how I'd write this review. I'd write about how much
I hate "the cool people," how much I could relate to the main
character, and how I could never understand why girls seem to be attracted
to guys who treat them like shit. But now that I'm typing this, I realize
that I've spewed my venom on all that before... several times, even. So
I'm not gonna do that. Well, I WILL say this ('cause I can never say it
enough): I hate the cool people, and "Empire Records" and "Reality
Bites" are HORRIBLE movies! Okay, thank you.
"Loser" bares little resemblance to the way that the movie has
been advertised. It's advertised as this wacky romantic comedy, but it's
not. It's a romantic comedy, but more romance than comedy. It's sorta
like what happened with "Boys
and Girls," a movie that also happens to feature the star of
"Loser" (Jason Biggs) in a supporting role. I like this movie
a lot more than "Boys and Girls," though.
Jason Biggs plays a character completely different from the characters
he played in "American
Pie" and "Boys and Girls." In this movie, he's such
a nice guy, so naive, and so easily taken advantage of, that you feel
sorry for him. It's not rocket science to know how this kinda movie ends,
so I can safely point out that unlike the title implies, he's not really
the so-called "Loser" of the movie. All of "the cool people"
who THINK he's a loser are the true losers. Okay, it's kinda preachy and
all that, but I'm a sucker for that stuff. That being said, It's
painful watching some of the scenes, and you wanna see Jason Biggs to
beat the shit outta these people who so badly deserve an ass kicking.
Jason Biggs stars with Mena Suvari, and yes, they're both in "American
Pie." Jason Biggs being the main guy (the pie lover), and Mena Suvari
was the choirgirl. She played a completely different role as the girl
Kevin Spacey lusts after in "American
Beauty," and quite honestly, I thought she was too over-the-top.
Together, Jason Biggs and Mena Suvari are cute, and you want them to get together, but as the formula goes, you hafta wait it out. Yes, this is a very old formula, but it works in this movie. For me, anyway. There are plenty of other ways for the movie to go, making it a formula within a formula, but thankfully, that was all avoided.
Oh, by the
way, there are lotsa cameos in this movie, so keep your eyes open.
"Loser" was written and directed by Amy Heckerling, a woman who
does good with movies that focus on young adults. She directed "Fast
Times at Ridgemont High," and she wrote and directed "Clueless."
Her other directing efforts include "Look Who's Talking," "National
Lampoon's European Vacation," and "Johnny Dangerously." I
don't think I've ever seen a movie she directed that I didn't like, even
if many of 'em aren't exactly critical darlings.
I like this movie a lot, but it really IS very formulaic. Also, most of
the "bad guys" are very cartoony. Still, "Loser" is
a very sweet, entertaining movie that I like, and I make no apologies for
it.