Loser (2000)

Sorry, this movie sucks

Just what I expected

Don't listen to the Hype. It's awful

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

A mild mannered student from the country adapts to life in the big city after receiving a scholarship. This is a predictable comedy but a highly enjoyable one. Although not hilariously funny it's good to watch the relationship between Jason Biggs and Mena Suvari. Both leads are highly likable in this and Greg Kinnear is also great as the lecherous lecturer. The soundtrack that launched Wheatus to worldwide fame is an additional bonus. I have seen this film a few times now and have always enjoyed it. It's not that highly rated but everyone is allowed a guilty pleasure film. If you're looking for an easy to watch bit of fun then this is worth a view.

From director Amy Heckerling (Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Clueless), I remember seeing the DVD cover featuring the star one of the most recognisable teen movies, so I wanted to see why it was rated low. Basically Paul Tannek (American Pie's Jason Biggs) has arrived in New York City from the Midwest on an academic scholarship, and attending his new college it is obvious he is pretty out of place. He can't seem to find anyone that he can engage in a conversation or make any kind of friendship, due to a few mishaps, and being put with three spoilt party animal roommates. He is branded a loser by pretty much everyone he has come into contact with, and after being chucked out by his roommates he finds himself a job helping out and a room in a veterinary clinic. It is there that Paul meets and has an instant attraction for fellow coed student Dora Diamond (American Pie's Mena Suvari), the only person who seems to take any notice of him and his problems. He is devastated when he finds out that struggling Dora is dating and having an affair with a man nearly twenty years above her, literature teacher Professor Edward Alcott (Greg Kinnear). Slowly however she may be gaining more of a connection with the troubled Paul, the only thing that the professor wants to do with her is have sex with no affectionate complications at all. In the end, Paul may have made himself a bit more relevant in the stakes at the college, and of course Dora realises Edward is the wrong man for her, and they get together for the happy ending kiss. Also starring Zak Orth as Adam, Thomas 'Tom' Sadoski as Chris, Jimmi Simpson as Noah, Dan Aykroyd as Dad, Andy Dick as Another City Worker, Steven Wright as Panty Hose Customer, Alan Cumming as Himself / Emcee and David Spade as Video Store Clerk. I should start by saying that I did like most of the soundtrack songs, including Wheatus's "Teenage Dirtbag", The Offspring's "Pretty Fly (For A White Guy)", Eiffel 65's "Blue (Da Ba Dee)" and The Bloodhound Gang's "Bad Touch". Biggs is almost the same as his most well known character, Suvari is okay as the teen having an affair, this is a film meant to have some gross moments, but to be honest I was so bored throughout that I didn't notice, not one moment made me laugh, a rubbish teen comedy romance. Poor!

Jason Biggs stars as the "Loser" a freshman trying to fit in at New York University. It has the usual likable loser who gets stuck around jerks and tries to win over a girl. It's been done many times before and it's been done better.Written and directed by Amy Heckerling, this is her first film since "Clueless" (1995). It only has a few funny lines and relies on popular music to make it entertaining. It has very little of the ascorbic wit Heckerling has shown in her other films. The best character was Greg Kinnear as the unscrupulous college professor with great banter. Biggs is his usual likable awkward self. Mena Suvari plays 'the girl' and as usual for Suvari she comes across as annoying and not nearly as smart as her character is supposed to be.If you are looking for the next "Clueless" check out "I Could Never Be Your Woman" (2007) it better matches Heckerling's potential. Or for a better version of this "Loser" genre, watch "She's Out of My League" (2010) or "Sydney White" (2007).

Why don't nice guys like that exist in real life? Or maybe they do and are just overshadowed by the nasty ones. Either way, it's a travesty.I caught this movie on a late-night rerun, and it wasn't exactly what I expected. When I first saw Jason Biggs, I dreaded another 'American Pie'-type teen movie. My main complaint with the 'American Pie' series is that they rely a lot on crude, slapstick humour and placing their characters in wholly unrealistic situations to get a laugh.Surprisingly, not so in 'Loser'. The humour was more subtle, nuanced, with no proverbial big red flashing signs saying "THIS IS A FUNNY PART, LAUGH HERE". It was more genuine, gentle and affective - yes I mean affective with an a. We laugh empathetically because we know what he's going through, not because he gets caught with his hand glued to his penis.There are complaints that this movie is somewhat unrealistic, and I agree that the background characters (mainly Paul's dorm mates and the Professor) are pretty one-dimensional at times, but they're the support cast. They're just there to effect (yes, with an e) and support the storyline. Jason Biggs did pretty all right as the nice country boy lost in the nastiness of the city, and Mena Suvari's character complemented his nicely as the girl who makes all the wrong decisions, but is really trying to find her way. And besides, I think it's sad that this movie is considered to be unrealistic because the main character is so nice. Really shows what kind of world we live in if we consider niceness to be unrealistic.Overall, it was enjoyable, not very complex... a movie you'd watch to wind down from a busy day, or on a rainy evening with nothing to do.