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How to Lose Friends & Alienate People (2008)
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Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
3 October 2008 (USA) moreTagline:
Brace yourselves, America. morePlot:
A British writer struggles to fit in at a high-profile magazine in New York. Based on Toby Young's memoir "How to Lose Friends & Alienate People". full summary | full synopsisNewsDesk:
(10 articles)
Huston's Sister-in-Law In Suicide Jump (From WENN. 28 October 2008, 5:10 AM, PDT)
Pegg's Film Tops U.K. Box Office Chart
(From WENN. 8 October 2008, 5:09 AM, PDT)
User Comments:
Hysterical and Entertaining! moreUS Showtimes:
(register to personalize)Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Kelan Pannell | ... | Young Sidney | |
| Janette Scott | ... | Sidney's Mother | |
| Simon Pegg | ... | Sidney Young | |
| Megan Fox | ... | Sophie Maes | |
| Gillian Anderson | ... | Eleanor Johnson | |
| Kelly Jo Charge | ... | Apollo Awards Presenter | |
| Christian Smith | ... | Apollo Awards Guest | |
| Katherine Parkinson | ... | PR Woman | |
| Felicity Montagu | ... | Clipboard Nazi | |
| Thandie Newton | ... | Herself | |
| John Lightbody | ... | Assistant Hotel Manager | |
| Ian Bonar | ... | Post Modern Review Staff #1 | |
| James Corden | ... | Post Modern Review Staff #2 | |
| Fenella Woolgar | ... | Post Modern Review Staff #3 | |
| Chris O'Dowd | ... | Post Modern Review Staff #4 |
Additional Details
MPAA:
Rated R for language, some graphic nudity and brief drug material.Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parentsRuntime:
110 minCountry:
UKLanguage:
EnglishColour:
ColourAspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 moreCertification:
UK:15 | Ireland:15A | USA:R | South Korea:15 | Australia:M | Netherlands:12 | South Africa:16 | New Zealand:M | Germany:o.Al.MOVIEmeter: 
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Toby Young, the man around whom the film is based, was banned from the set as he was reportedly annoying actors and interrupting Robert B. Weide as he tried to direct scenes. moreGoofs:
Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): In the competitor magazine's article on Sophie Maes that Sidney reads, the word "epitome" is spelled "epitomy." moreFAQ
Is "How to Lose Friends & Alienate People" based on a book?How much sex, violence, and profanity are in this movie?
A NOTE REGARDING SPOILERS
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I had been looking forward to How to Lose Friends & Alienate People for months, particularly due to the fact that Kirsten Dunst and Simon Pegg were starring. Simon Pegg is a comedic genius and Kirsten Dunst has always been a favorite actress of mine. How to Lose Friends & Alienate People hit the spot! Of course not perfect, but very enjoyable and funny. How to Lose Friends & Alienate People follows the life of Sidney Young, a smalltime, bumbling, British celebrity journalist, who is hired by an upscale magazine in New York City. In spectacular fashion Sidney enters high society and burns bridges with bosses, peers and superstars. After disrupting one black-tie event by allowing a wild pig to run rampant, Sidney catches the attention of Clayton Harding, editor of Sharp, and accepts a job with the magazine in New York City. Clayton warns Sidney that he'd better impress and charm everyone he can, if he wants to succeed. Instead, Sidney instantly insults and annoys fellow writer Alison Olsen (Kirsten Dunst). He dares to target the star clients of power publicist Eleanor Johnson (Gillian Anderson). He also upsets his direct boss Lawrence Maddox (Danny Huston). Sidney finds creative ways to annoy nearly everyone. His saving grace, a rising starlet Sophie Maes (Megan Fox) who develops an odd affection for him. In time, Allison's friendship might be the only thing saving Sydney from his downward spiraling career. The storyline is very interesting and the acting was top notch with what the actors were given. Simon Pegg is still hilarious as ever! He makes Sydney bumbling, obnoxious, and annoying as real as it gets, but later in time making Sydney not just likable, but also a real character who you root for in the end. Kirsten Dunst and Jeff Bridges were brilliant! Kirsten had some very wonderful acting and hilarious scenes, and Jeff Bridges is just Jeff f*cking Bridges! How can you not like him?! He makes Clayton a very humorous character with some wit and overall you just love the guy. Gillian Anderson, Megan Fox, and Danny Huston were great as the supporting cast. Each had their own personality that were overall pretty unlikable, but that's what just made the film work. One thing I didn't enjoy was how one dimensional some of the characters were. I understand that most were the supporting cast, but some of the cast was underused and could've given the film some more spice to it. How to Lose Friends & Alienate People will never be on anyone's top 10 films ever, or even top 10 comedies ever, but it has a very high entertainment level and some scenes may even charm you as well. How to Lose Friends & Alienate People is definitely one of the best romantic comedies of the year, if not the best! 8/10