How to Stop Being a Loser (2011)

As Good As It Gets

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

Just for once, every so often, it's nice to walk away from razzle dazzle high-tech wizardry and enjoy a straightforward, hugely entertaining film that can stand up on its own merits, without a gargantuan budget, and without several studios working day and night on CG or other effects. If, like me, you find British comedies films normally fit neatly into one of two camps..very good or genuinely terrible, you'll be pleasantly surprised by this little gem. The acting is superb throughout, the storyline is plausible, and the movie rolls along at a steady pace without seeming bloated or skimping on details. The comedy is very much in the detail here, not always in the spoken word or action - which is refreshing to see, and typically British. I'd imagine that this film would appeal to those of us that feel slightly disenchanted with increasingly formulaic Hollywood churn-outs, and those that like a feel-good flick, but can't seem to find one under the groaning mountain of horror films. I realize its 'uncool' to admit to enjoying films of this nature these days. I fully understand that I'd earn far more cool-points by enthusing over the latest cheap zero-storyline hack-and-slash part 8 movie, but I've seen enough of these to honestly say I never want to see another ever again. These days, when life seems increasingly short of laughs, and even escapism isn't catered for, films like this are a welcome relief and a breath of fresh air. Avoid those who'll over-analyse, over-criticize, and otherwise dissect this slice of romantic comedy, and just buy/ rent it. I think you'll be glad you did!

Most of the reviews here seem to be one extreme or the other – either that it was amazingly good, or awfully bad. I'd have to say it falls somewhere in the middle. I will agree, however, that the term "romantic comedy" is a bit liberally applied as it more closely follows the conventions of a sex comedy.Not being from the UK, I had no idea who most of the actors were (save for Richard Grant and Colin Salmon whom I've seen here and there), so I didn't walk into this with any preconceived notions of their reputations or general bodies of work. That may have helped, since a couple of the reviewers seem disappointed at the level of screen time from the supporting cast. I wanted to watch the film purely based on the vibe of the trailer, which reminded me a lot of the teen comedies that exploded out of the late 90s/early 2000s.James (Simon Phillips) is your run-of-the-mill "loser" whose best friend Ian (Richard Grant) commits suicide after succumbing to the depression of his status as a "dateless wonder." In a delayed video message, Ian pleads for James not to end up like him. Motivated by this, James enlists the tutelage of local pick-up artist Ampersand (Craig Conway) to teach him the elusive skills of attracting and seducing women. James has a few setbacks using Ampersand's techniques – which rely on trickery, shameless schmoozing, and insults – but he eventually manages to succeed in catching the attention of his gorgeous high school crush, Hannah (Gemma Atkinson). Things go awry when his friends challenge his new priorities, and James struggles to reconcile between being himself or changing his life to keep the girl of his dreams.So there you have it: your standard tale of morality served on a platter of comedy. The film's message is simple: be yourself, because anything else is not worth it. It also takes a humorous look at the "douchebags get all the girls" angle and cautiously points out that you get what you give. As to whether or not the material is funny, that is entirely subjective. Personally, I found myself laughing out loud on a few occasions at the hopelessly awkward social interactions. The movie itself is presented as a narrative recounted by James in a visit to a psychologist (Colin Salmon), who doubles as both an audience surrogate by unprofessionally voicing his third-party commentary on the story and as an added source of humor for cutaway bits.As far as the characters, you've got your usual fare: the stereotypical geek, the nerdy-but-attractive female friend, the hot crush that every guy wants, and the well-intentioned purveyor of misguided wisdom. Phillips and Simon play their parts as caricatures – which many forget is a completely normal convention of funny genres – whilst Stephanie Leonidas (best friend Patch) hits it perfectly in the middle and Atkinson (purposefully) alternates between subdued and caricature. The over-exaggeration of James and Ampersand is most certainly intentional, and if you don't understand why, then you don't understand the basic principles of comedy characterization. When comparing, it's easy to dismiss one bunch as too hammy and the other bunch as too flat, but it's simply the large contrast in energy level that gives it that appearance. Hannah is the perfect example of that concept as she goes from one to the other to best display both aspects of her as a person. No, they don't give award-winning performances, but they're not blocks of wood on screen, either.***SPOILER***The romantic twist ending wasn't exactly a surprise, but then again, the "Hot Crush" only ever comes in two flavors. In both scenarios, she is always objectified and of a high social standing, but she is either a.) secretly unhappy with her life, or b.) secretly a total bitch. If she's not one then she's always the other. There was a red flag in just about every single one of Hannah's scenes, but they did at least mix in a few Type A behaviors to try and throw you off. However, hooking up with Patch dances dangerously between being contrived and being foreshadowed. She remembers James doesn't like cheese, but then casually tries to hook him up with her single friend. James almost confesses to deeper feelings towards the very end, but never displayed anything more than platonic friendship up until that point.***END SPOILER***Is the plot cliché? Absolutely. Does it come complete with stock characters? Absolutely. I went into the movie expecting a certain kind of dynamic, and that's exactly what I got. At nearly two hours in run time they had plenty of room to polish the script a little more, but I was entertained, and that is always what I want to walk away with when watching these kinds of genres. If you like this type of movie, give it a try, and if not, you are better off on some other page.

This movie is well worth the watch. It has some entertaining moments, and does draw you into the story. You can connect with a variety of characters, regardless of your personal story. Just watch it and try to connect it to your life, and this movie will help illustrate what is wrong in the world in many ways, but also shows how some things that have been devalued by the media and society are the most important. Don't look past your friends, and seek solely money or personal fame. There are many funny scenes in this movie, though for the most part there aren't many known actors, shows how on a lower budget a good movie can be made. It takes the basic love-interest storyline a step further as well.

This film is different and I seriously doubt it had anything like the million pound budget it claims to have on here but don't let it's relatively low budget put you off. Right from the genius opening scene with Richard E Grant, who I so wish would do more edgy comedy which for me is when he's at his best, the film takes you on a twisty journey that is tricky to predict because it doesn't actually follow the typical romantic comedy well trodden plot, it almost does, which for me is what makes it so clever. It remains a step ahead of you the whole time while drawing you to believe it's taking you on a journey you already know the destination of. The blonde is pretty spectacular but for me, the actress who plays Patch is just drop dead gorgeous, major crush! Some major laugh out loud set pieces and a couple of moments where the proverbial envelope is most certainly pushed! For me worth a second watch but this time with my mates rather than my girl.