She's Out of My League, directed by Jim Field Smith, is not an original concept in young adult, comedy, or romantic comedy film genres. It is the quintessential story of the geek who gets the girl. Often in these types of films, the geek gets the soulless hottie or is used by the heartless femme fatale and realizes that the girl he is meant to be with was right beside him all along.
And that's just boring. In She's Out of My League, the rare real-world event of a perfect 10 female digging the skinny dweeb with a dead-end job is the film's central theme. It makes for some warm squishiness for the hopeless romantics out there; some awkward, mindless, and adolescent (in a good way) comedy for the macho boyfriends hen-pecked into watching the dreaded "chick flick"; and some real bromance for the bros in touch with their Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants-watching sides (if any guy has actually seen that movie).
In short, if a boyfriend, husband, unfortunate dater, or anyone like Paul Rudd's character in I Love You, Man is dragged (perhaps kicking and screaming) into a romantic comedy this year, it ought to be She's Out of My League. It's got a twinge more sickening romance than Forgetting Sarah Marshall (an awesome movie), but enough testicle shaving and finger pegging to actually make it guy-friendly.
She's Out of My League is a Simple Plot with Simple Comedy that Simply Works
For those looking for anything thought-provoking, they'll not likely find it watching She's Out of My League. Instead, viewers can expect a blend of witty and witless comedy and somewhat touching lovey-dovey stuff.
The plot begins with nerdy TSA agent Kirk Kettner, played by Jay Baruchel (Million Dollar Baby, Knocked Up, Fanboys) working airport security. When drop-dead gorgeous Molly McCall (Alice Eve - Big Nothing, Crossing Over, Sex and the City 2) walks through his metal detector, Kirk is the only member of the TSA staff who treats her with respect.
Molly, however, has a plane to catch. Just as quickly as she walked into Kirk's life, she walks out... except she accidentally leaves her cellphone behind. Kirk is kind enough to bring it to her upon her return. To repay him, Molly offers Kirk hockey tickets, which he accepts. Before he realizes it, he is midway through a date with Molly and the beginnings of their mismatched relationship.
Of course, Kirk gets the girl, but the remainder of the film instills the question, "can he keep her?" Add in Molly's seemingly perfect ex-boyfriend (Geoff Stults), Kirk's jealous ex-girlfriend (Lindsay Sloane), and a plethora of family and friends who don't believe in Kirk and Molly's relationship, and Kirk and Molly must overcome substantial conflict in order for their relationship to survive.
She's Out of My League's Cast and Director Accomplish What They Sought Out to Achieve
The acting isn't always sensational in She's Out of My League, but it is good enough where it counts. Looking and sounding the part, it is hard to imagine Jay Baruchel cast as anything but a nerd (or perhaps a cokehead, with his sunken eyes and skinny frame). He shows a gift for comedic timing and a subtlety well-suited to his character's low self esteem.
In addition to looking beautiful, Alice Eve shows promise as a budding actress. Though the movie lacked any serious depth, Eve's performance suggests that she may be worthy of more challenging drama.
The supporting cast had some moments of poorly delivered dialogue but nevertheless added substantially to the comic relief. Most notably were Nate Torrence as Kirk's sappy friend, Devon; Krysten Ritter as Molly's angry friend, Patty; and T. J. Miller as Kirk's disillusioned friend, Stainer. The funniest scenes generally involved Kirk or Molly with one of these three supporting actors.
Direction, too, was solid. A virtual newcomer to film, Jim Field Smith proves he can hang with the comedy big boys. Though not quite at the level of an Old School or Hangover on the funny scale, She's Out of My League is a good early showing for Smith. Perhaps, he has even better films to come.
Jason Parent - Jason Parent earned his Bachelor's Degree in English in 2000 and his Juris Doctorate in 2006. He currently works as an attorney with a ...
