The new Jay Baruchel starring romantic comedy is now in cinemas.
Average twenty-something loser Kirk Kettner (Jay Baruchel) still lives with his parents and works at the local airport. He has a close knit group of friends made up of other losers and social outcasts, but is unlucky in love. His ex-girlfriend Marnie has basically become his adopted sister and lives at his house with her new boyfriend. Kirk’s luck starts to change when he meets Molly (Alice Eve), a gorgeous successful blonde who is way out of his league. You see, on a scale of attractiveness, he’s a 5 and she’s a cold hard 10. For some reason Molly seems to like Kirk, but can he put aside his insecurities for long enough to get the girl?
To everyone around them, their relationship doesn’t make any sense. Kirk’s presence around Molly is only tolerated by her pilot ex-boyfriend Cam because he assumes he’s her new gay best friend. She’s a successful party-planner, schmoozing with high society at functions she organises; he’s working as ineffectual security with his loser friends for Trans States Airlines.
They do make for a sweet couple, even if the balance isn’t quite right. Apart from one scene of gross-out humour that seems really out of place, this film is more focused on the pitfalls of the dating scene. What happens when the waiters at the fancy restaurant you’re at are all wearing the same jacket as you? Can you recover from a making a really bad first impression on her parents?
Kirk’s family are a nightmare; domineering, condescending and stupid. He’s been beaten down by his family all his life; instead of sending Kirk to college, his father spent the money on home improvements. Kirk’s utter embarrassment about being related to them is obvious, as witnessed in the dinner scene when his dimwit brother talks about his Nascar themed wedding.
With this and How To Train Your Dragon, Baruchel is getting used to playing the nerdy outsider living within a family of alpha-males. He’s a likeable lead, coming from the Judd Apatow troupe of rejects in Undeclared. He’s had quite a few supporting roles in the last couple of years, most recognisably from Tropic Thunder and Knocked Up, but I’m liking him as a lead. Without sounding too harsh, he’s like a limp piece of spaghetti, all awkward and gangly, but these are the qualities that will make audiences warm to him.
There’s some good scenes of Kirk with his friends; just guys being guys. They can’t believe his luck at getting with such a hottie, and assume she must be on the rebound. They don’t do much to boost his confidence and any advice they give is hardly from a voice of experience. This is a star-making performance by TJ Miller as Stainer, who seems to be carving out a career in scene-stealing performances in films like Extract and as the voice behind the camera in Cloverfield. He’s like Jack Black as Barry in High Fidelity, drawing your attention away from the star and even having his own musical performance with his Hall and Oates cover band.
As for Alice Eve’s Molly, she really is a divine goddess-type creature, and you do see an obvious flaw in the logic of her and Kirk getting together, no matter how likeable he is. There’s just enough suspension of disbelief to think that this relationship might work out, and it’s to the film’s credit that you will be rooting for him to get the girl.
If you’ve seen Jay Baruchel in Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist, you know he can play suave and confident, but playing the neurotic weakling like he does here plays better to his strengths. If Woody Allen sees this guy I’m sure he wouldn’t hesitate to cast him as his latest on-screen stand in.
All in all, She’s Out of My League is a sweet and gently funny romantic comedy, definitely worth a watch.
Verdict
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